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MISSION   STUDY  TEXT  BOOK 
No.  1 


EDITED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF 

THE  BAPTIST  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  UNION 

OF  ONTARIO  AND  QUEBEC 


THE  BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 


N.B.— The  Editor  will  be  pleased  to  assist  in  every  way 
possible  those  who  will  communicate  with  him  concerning 
their  difficulties. 


SUPERINTENDENTS  AND  SECRETARIES. 


RKV.  E.  BOSWORTH, 
Grande-Ligne. 


REV.  I.  W.  PORTER, 


REV.  W.  E.  NORTON.  D.D. 
Ont.  and  Que. 


REV.  D.  B.  HARKNESS, 
The  West. 


REV.  W.  E.  MclNTYRE,  D.D. 
New  Brunswick. 


THE   BAPTISTS   OF 
CANADA 

A  History  of  their  Progress  and 
Achievements 


EDITED   BY 

REV.  E.  R.  FITCH.  B.A.,  B.D. 

Superintendent  of  the  Missionary  Department  of  the  B.  Y.  P.  U. 
of  Ontario  and  Quebec 


TORONTO  >? 

THE  STANDARD  PUBLISHING  COMPANY.  LIMITED 
27  Richmond  Street  "West 


COPYRIGHT,  CANADA,  1911,  BY 

THE  BAPTIST  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  UJTION 

OF  ONTARIO  AND  QUEBEC 


TO 
THE  BAPTIST  HEROES  OF  PIONEER  DAYS 

AND  THEIR  SUCCESSORS 

WHO  HAVE  SO  EARNESTLY  CONTENDED  FOR  THE 
FAITH  ONCE  DELIVERED  UNTO  THE  SAINTS 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGH 

Preface 

Introduction 

PART  I.— THE  MARITIME  PROVINCES. 
I.  Their  Common  History       ------      15 

1.  The   Beginnings— 2.  Nova   Scotia  Baptist   Association— 

3.  Co-operation.— 4.  The  Baptist  Convention  of  Nova  Scotia, 
New  Brunswick  and  Prince  Edward  Island. — 5.  The  United 
Baptist  Convention  of  the  Maritime  Provinces. 

II.  Nova  Scotia  and  Prince  Edward  Island  (1821-1911)    -      43 

(a)  REGULAR  BAPTISTS. 

1.  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Association,  1821-1851.— 2.  Control 
of  Home  Missions  by  Three  Associations  (1850-1857).— 3.  The 
Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society  (1857-1872).— 

4.  The  Nova  Scotia  Home  Missionary  Union  (1872-1879).— 

5.  The  Convention  Board  (1879-1910).— 6.  Outstanding  Men. 
—7.  Special  Work. 

(6)  FREE  BAPTISTS. 

1.  Rise.— 2.  Organization.— 3.  The  Free  Baptist  Conference. 
—4.  Union  with  Regular  Baptists. 

III.  New  Brunswick         -------74 

(a)  REGULAR  BAPTISTS. 
1.  Denominational  Progress. — 2.  Home  Missions. 

(b)  FREE  BAPTISTS. 

1.  Origin.— 2.  Denominational  Progress.— 3.  Doctrine.— 4. 
Leaders. 

PART  II.— ONTARIO  AND  QUEBEC. 

IV.  Individual  Evangelization  and  Attempted  Organiza 

tion  (1776-1851)       101 

1.  Beginnings. — 2.  Progress  in  Organization  of  Churches. — 
3.  Attempts  at  Co-operation  and  Unification. — 4.  Colleges.— 
5.  Periodicals.— 6.  Leaders. 


8  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

V.  Unification,  Organization,  Missions  (1851-1888)  -       -    130 

1.  Unification.— 2.  Organization.— 3.  Colleges.— 4.  Periodicals. 
—5.  Progress  of  Churches.— 6.  Leaders. 

VI.  Consolidation,  Expansion,  Missions  (1888-1910)  -        -    166 

1. — Consolidation. — 2.  Expansion. — 3.  Missions. — 4.  Leaders. 
— 5.  Christian  Union. — 6.  German  Baptists. 

PART  ILL— GRANDE-LIGNE. 
VII.  The  Grande-Ligne  Mission 197 

1.  Beginnings.— 2.  Laying  Foundations.— 3.  The  School  at 
Grande-Ligne.  —  4.  Outstanding  Fields.  —  5.  Transferred 
Lights.— 6.  Support.— -7.  Leaders.— 8.  The  Religious  Situa 
tion. 

PART  IV.— WESTERN  CANADA, 
VIII.  Historical  Sketch 231 

1.  Laying  Foundations.— 2.  Progress  on  Prairies.— 3.  The 
Pacific  Province. — 4.  Expansion  and  Union  with  British 
Columbia. — 5.  Organization  and  Interprovincial  Relations. 

IX.  Special  Features 262 

1.  Baptist  Women  of  Western  Canada.— 2.  Non-English 
Work.— 3.  The  Conferences.— 4.  Educational  Work. 

APPENDIX. 

Summary  of  Statistics  of  Baptist  Churches  throughout  the 
World    -  293 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAQB 

Superintendents  and  Secretaries    -  Frontispiece 

Rev.  W.  E.  Norton,  Ontario  and  Quebec.— Rev.  I.  W.  Porter, 
Nova  Scotia.— Rev.  W.  E.  Mclntyre,  New  Brunswick.— Rev.  E. 
Bosworth,  Grande-Ligne.  —  Rev.  D.  B.  Harkness,  Western 
Canada. 

Heroes  of  the  Cross  in  the  East 31 

Rev.  Samuel  Hartt.  —  Rev.  Elias  Keirsteadt.— Rev.  Isaiah 
Wallace.— Rev.  Joseph  Crandall. 

Acadia  University        -----.-.49 
Leaders  in  Nova  Scotia 60 

Mr.  G.  F.  Allen.  — Rev.  A.  B.  Cohoon.  —  Mr.  Ira  M.  Baird.— 
Mr.  H.  G.  Telford. 

Builders  in  New  Brunswick        ------      77 

Rev.  A.  B.  MacDonald.— Rev.  E.  Weyman.— Rev.  J.  Noble.— 
Rev.  S.  Robinson.— Rev.  J.  H.  Hughes. 

Typical  Home  Mission  Churches         -        ....      86 

Baillie  and  Newcastle,  New  Brunswick. 

Foundation  Layers      --------    123 

Rev.  R.  A.  Fyfe.— Rev.  Wm.  Eraser.— Rev.  D.  McPhail.— Rev. 

A.  Stewart. — Rev.  J.  Gilmour. 

McMaster  University  and  Colleges      -----    144 
Denominational  Builders     -------    158 

Hon.  Wm.  McMaster.— D.  E.  Thompson,  K.O.— Rev.  John 
Howard  Castle.— Mr.  D.  Buchan.— Rev.  O.  O.  S.  Wallace. 

9 


io  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Foreign  Missions  at  Home  ----_. 

Band  of  Macedonian  Baptist  Mission— Mission  Hall  for  Mace 
donians. 

Home  Mission  Leaders,  Past  and  Present         -       -       -    187 

Rev.  A.  Grant.— Rev.  T.  L.  Davidson.— Rev.  J.  P.  McEwen.— 
Rev.  0.  J.  Cameron.— Mr.  John  Stark. 

Grande  Ligne  School  - -        -    207 

Leaders  in  the  Grande-Ligne  Mission         -        -        -        -    222 

Madame   Feller,— Rev.    L.    Roussy.— Rev.    A.    L.     Therrien.— 
Principal  A.  E.  Mass<$.—  Lady  Principal  Mrs.  A.  E.  Mass4. 

Men  of  the  West 251 

Mr.  John  Morton.  —  Rev.  A.  McDonald.  —  Rev.  W.  T.  Stack- 
house.— Mr.  H.  E.  Sharpe. 

Okanagan  College 269 

The  First  Galician  Church 269 

Brandon  College 281 

Yet  in  the  eye  of  life's  all -seeing  sun 
.  We  shall  behold  a  something  we  have  done ; 
Shall  of  the  work  together  we  have  wrought. 
Beyond  our  aspiration  and  our  thought. 
Some  not  unworthy  issue  yet  receive. 

— Arthur  Hugh  Clough, 


PREFACE 

The  use  of  history  in  the  development  of  Christian 
character  has  long  since  been  recognized  as  an  import 
ant  factor.  It  helps  us  in  so  many  ways  to  understand 
the  present  condition  of  things  that  on  this  account 
alone  it  would  be  worth  while  giving  serious  attention 
to  it.  But  in  addition  to  this  there  are  other  great 
advantages  in  this  study.  It  helps  us,  for  example, 
to  see  the  working  out  of  certain  principles,  both  of 
thought  and  of  action;  and  this  becomes  thus  an 
encouragement  in  that  which  is  right,  to  believe  that 
the  right  will  win,  and  a  warning  against  that  which  is 
wrong,  because  we  see  that  falseness  sooner  or  later 
falls  to  the  ground. 

The  study  of  the  history  of  our  own  country  has 
for  all  of  us  very  great  advantages.  Someone  has 
said  that  every  nation's  Bible  is  its  own  history,  and 
while  this  is  doubtless  an  exaggeration,  there  is  a  vast 
amount  of  truth  in  it.  We  are  beginning  as  Canadians 
to  awaken  to  the  fact  that  in  Canada  we  have  a  real 
history  and  in  some  respects  an  important  history. 
No  Canadian,  therefore,  need  feel  that  in  mastering 
the  story  of  our  past  he  is  wasting  his  time. 

But  the  history  of  Baptists  is  also  coming  to  be 
recognized  as  both  interesting  and  important,  and  we 
are  becoming  aware  that  the  contribution  that  Bap 
tists  have  made  to  the  life  of  the  past  and  to  the  equip 
ment  of  the  present  is  far  from  unimportant.  More- 

11 


12  PREFACE 

over,  the  contribution  of  Baptists  to  the  life  of  Canada 
is  as  real  as  that  made  by  our  people  in  any  of  the 
other  countries.  It  is,  therefore,  with  very  great 
pleasure  that  I  say  a  word  of  commendation  for  the 
work  undertaken  in  the  present  volume.  It  is  sincerely 
to  be  hoped  that  our  young  people  everywhere  will 
master  the  facts  here  set  forth.  The  posting  of  our 
young  people  in  the  leading  events  of  Canadian  Bap 
tist  history  will  be  the  best  reward  for  the  hard  labors 
of  Mr.  Fitch  and  of  the  others  who  have  labored  on 
this  volume,  the  manuscript  of  which  I  have  read  with 
great  interest  and  profit. 

J,  t,  GlI,MOUR. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  task  imposed  upon  the  writers  of  the  manu 
script  for  this  book  has  been  an  exceedingly  difficult 
one.  They  were  compelled  to  compress  into  a  limited 
space  material  so  abundant  and  so  interesting  that  a 
volume  five  times  the  size  of  this  would  have  been 
required  to  give  an  adequate  treatment.  This  applies 
particularly  to  Parts  I.  and  II.  To  further  conserve 
space  and  to  make  more  suitable  for  mission  study 
purposes,  the  editor  has  omitted  some  portions,  re 
written,  re-cast  and  changed  the  position  of  others. 
Rev.  I.  W.  Porter,  Rev.  W.  E.  Mclntyre,  D.D.,  Rev. 
E.  M.  Keirstead,  D.D.,  and  the  editor,  have  supplied 
the  manuscript  for  Part  I. ;  Rev.  W.  E.  Norton,  D.D., 
that  for  Part  II. ;  Committees  appointed  by  the  Grande- 
Ligne  Mission  Board  and  the  Western  Board  that  for 
Parts  III.  and  IV.,  respectively.  Professor  J.  H. 
Farmer,  D.D.,  Professor  J.  L.  Gilmour,  D.D.,  Rev. 
J.  G.  Brown,  D.D.,  Rev.  H.  C.  Priest,  Rev.  C.  H. 
Schutt,  together  with  the  above,  have  read  carefully 
all  or  parts  of  the  manuscript  and  made  many  valuable 
suggestions,  but  the  editor  assumes  the  sole  responsi 
bility  for  the  form  in  which  it  appears. 

Considerable  freedom  has  been  exercised  in  the  use 
of  authorities.  In  Part  I.  Dr.  I.  E.  Bill's  "  Fifty  Years 
with  the  Baptists  "  and  Dr.  Saunders'  "  History  of 
the  Maritime  Baptists  "  have  been  invaluable.  Dr. 
Norton  desires  to  express  his  indebtedness  to  the  his- 

13 


14  INTRODUCTION 

torica,  sketches  written  for  the  "  Century  Year  Book," 
by  Mr.  John  Stark,  Rev.  J.  P.  McEwen,  Dr.  F.  Tracy 
and  Dr.  A.  H.  Newman,  Dr.  Farmer's  article  in  "  A 
Century  of  Baptist  Achievements,"  and  Dr.  Wells' 
"  Life  of  Dr.  Fyfe."  He  has  also  had  access  to  several 
original  manuscripts — nota'bly  one  by  Dr.  John 
Dempsey.  Rev.  A.  P.  Mihm,  Berlin,  Ont.,  furnished 
the  data  for  the  sketch  of  the  German  Baptists  of 
Ontario.  In  Part  III.,  Dr.  Wyeth's  "  Henrietta  Feller 
and  the  Grande-Ligne  Mission "  has  been  of  great 
service.  Part  IV.  covers  such  recent  history  that  the 
only  literature  available  was  the  various  reports  of 
churches,  associations,  etc.,  manuscripts,  the  Century 
Year  Book,  and  other  official  records. 

It  is  hoped  that,  in  addition  to  serving  the  purposes' 
of  a  mission  study  text  book,  the  book  will  give  to 
the  Baptists  of  Canada  a  deeper  sense  of  their  common 
unity,  and  a  keener  appreciation  of  the  principles  for 
which  we  stand.  That  it  will  awaken  in  the  hearts 
of  all  a  glad  and  thankful  recognition  to  God  for  His 
mercies  to  us  during  the  past  century  and  a  half,  and 
a  worthy  desire  to  have  repeated  in  our  time  the  pente- 
costal  experiences  of  the  days  of  our  forefathers,  can 
scarcely  be  doubted.  We  may  not  be  able  to  commend 
all  that  the  leaders  of  the  past  have  done,  but  surely 
no  Baptist  of  to-day  will  fail  to  enshrine  them  in  the 
memory  as  worthy  of  highest  honor. 

If  any  injustice  has  been  done  to  any  one,  it  is 
needless  to  say  it  has  been  unintentional.  The  editor 
will  be  pleased  to  hear  from  any  one  who  has  detected 
any  errors  or  omissions. 

E.  R.  FITCH,  Editor. 


PART  I.-THE  MARITIME  PROVINCES. 


CHAPTER  I. 
THEIR  COMMON  HISTORY. 

Free  and  Regular  Baptists.  The  Baptists  of  the 
Maritime  Provinces  in  the  period  preceding  1800  were 
without  organization  of  any  kind  beyond  the  local 
church  organization,  and  that  was  exceedingly  loose 
as  respects  both  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 
Gradually  a  difference  in  belief  and  practice  became 
evident.  [Out  of  this  difference  grew  the  Free  Baptists 
and  the  Regular  Baptists.  The  former  held  to  open 
communion  and  were  Arminian  in  doctrine ;  the  latter 
held  to  close  communion  and  were  Calvinistic  in  doc 
trine.  The  Free  Baptist  churches  did  not  have  a 
common  organization  until  1832  in  New  Brunswick 
and  1834  in  Nova  Scotia.  It  was  seventy-two  years 
later  that  the  early  breach  was  healed  and  the  Baptists 
of  the  Maritime  Provinces  became  the  "  United 
Baptists." 

Periods.  The  history  which  is  common  to  them 
divides  naturally  into  five  periods.  The  first  extends 
to  1800,  and  may  be  designated  "  Beginnings."  The 
second  covers  the  next  21  years,  and  may  be  named 
"  The  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Associations,"  as  that  was 
the  only  organization  of  Baptist  churches  in  those 

15 


16  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

provinces  during  that  time.  The  third  period,  from 
1821  to  1846,  may  be  characterized  as  "  Co-operation," 
as  different  organizations  directed  the  organized  effort 
in  the  two  provinces,  and  their  common  history  is 
related  simply  to  activities  in  which  they  co-operated. 
The  fourth  is  that  of  "  The  Baptist  Convention  of 
Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick  and  Prince  Edward 
Island."  During  this  time  the  most  important  of  the 
activities  of  the  Regular  Baptists,  with  the  exception  of 
Home  Missions  from  1851  to  1879  and  Home  Missions 
in  New  Brunswick  from  1894  to  the  present,  have  'been 
under  the  supervision  of  this  Convention.  The  fifth 
period  begins  with  the  amalgamation  in  1905  of  "  The 
Free  Baptist  Conference  of  New  Brunswick "  and 
"  The  Maritime  Convention "  into  "  The  United 
Baptist  Convention  of  the  Maritime  Provinces,"  which 
still  continues.  It  was  not  until  1906,  however,  that 
"  The  Free  Baptist  Conference  of  Nova  Scotia " 
joined  the  United  Baptist  Convention. 

i.  BEGINNINGS. 

(1)  Early  History.  Civil.  As  it  is  difficult  to 
think  of  our  denomination  without  thinking  of  the 
country  in  which  that  denomination  lives,  we  must 
preface  our  sketch  of  the  history  of  Baptists  of  the 
Maritime  Provinces  with  a  brief  statement  of  the 
general  facts  of  Canadian  history. 

"  The  earliest  official  records  show  that  John  and 
Sebastian  Cabot,  sailing  under  commission  from  King 
Henry  VII.,  of  England,  landed  in  1497  on  that  part 
of  the  present  Dominion  of  Canada  known  as  Cape 
Breton  in  Nova  Scotia." 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  17 

"Jacques  Cartier,  of  St.  Malo,  France,  discovered,  in 
1534,  those  portions  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada  now 
called  New  Brunswick,  Prince  Edward  Island  and 
Quebec,  and  on  his  return  to  France  presented  the 
King  with  the  first  official  record  there  is  of  the 
existence  of  those  regions." 

"  In  1604  De  Monts  and  Champlain  landed  on  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  first  officially  mentioned  as 
Acadie  (derived  from  an  Indian  word  '  Cadie/  a  place 
of  abundance),  in  the  commission  given  by  Henry  IV. 
of  France  to  .the  Sieur  de  Monts  in  1604.  In  1605  took 
place  the  founding  of  Port  Royal  (Annapolis),  Acadie. 
In  1621  we  have  the  first  mention  of  the  name  '  Nova 
Scotia '  in  a  grant  of  the  province  (including  what  is 
now  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  Prince  Edward 
Island  and  part  of  the  State  of  Maine)  to  Sir  W. 
Alexander,  by  James  I.  In  1623  Nova  Scotia  was 
first  settled  by  the  English ;  and  in  1696  it  was  made  ? 
Royal  Province.  In  1762  the  British  population  of 
Nova  Scotia  was  8,104;  in  this  year  the  first  English 
settlement  in  New  Brunswick  was  made.  In  1768 
Charlottetown,  Prince  Edward  Island,  was  founded. 
In  1769  Prince  Edward  Island  was  made  into  a  separ 
ate  province.  New  Brunswick  became  a  separate 
province  in  1784.  It  had  then  a  population  of  11,457. 
In  this  year  Fredericton  was  founded  'by  United 
Empire  Loyalists." 

Paedo-Baptist.  Other  religious  bodies  were  at  work 
in  the  province  long  before  Baptists  appeared  on  the 
scene.  After  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  the  Society 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  supported  chap 
lains  at  the  military  posts  in  the  province,  who  labored 
not  only  for  the  soldiers,  but  also  for  the  civilians 
2 


i8  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

settled  about  these  forts.  Before  the  coming  of  the 
Loyalists  and  the  large  addition  made  thereby  to  the 
staff  of  Episcopal  ministers,  much  work  had  been  done 
by  this  body  of  Christians  (the  Anglicans). 

The  Presbyterians,  "who  emigrated  to  Nova  Scotia, 
came  chiefly  from  Scotland  and  Ireland.  They  settled 
mostly  to  the  eastward  of  Halifax.  The  first  Presby 
terian  minister  in  Nova  Scotia  was  Rev.  James  Lyon, 
who  came  from  New  Jersey  in  1764,  and  settled  in 
Colchester  County.  He  preached  at  Truro,  Onslow 
and  other  places  adjacent.  In  1804  there  were  ten 
thoroughly  educated  Presbyterian  ministers  in  the 
Maritime  Provinces. 

William  Black,  the  pioneer  Methodist  missionary  in 
the  Maritime  Provinces,  came,,  when  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age,  with  his  father's  family  from  the  north 
of  England  to  Amherst,  N.S.  His  ministry  'began  in 
1780.  The  first  Methodist  Conference  was  held  at 
Halifax  in  October,  1789.  They  numbered  6  minis 
ters  and  510  members  in  Nova  Scotia.  At  the  end 
of  the  1 8th  century  they  had  9  ministers,  a  membership 
of  874,  and  about  3,000  adherents. 

Baptist.  The  Rev.  J.  B.  Morean,  a  missionary  of 
the  S.P.G.  at  Lunenburg  in  his  report  made  in  1753 
says,  in  giving  an  account  of  his  work  in  1752,  that  the 
fifty-six  families  left  in  the  community  were  composed 
of  Lutherans,  Calvhiists,  Presbyterians  and  Ana 
baptists.  These  Anabaptists,  Dr.  Saunders  thinks, 
were  probably  some  of  the  colony  of  foreigners  who 
had  settled  at  Lunenburg,  and  were  the  first  Baptists 
known  to  have  been  in  Nova  Scotia. 

In  1761  Rev.  Ebenezer  Moulton  went  from  Massa 
chusetts  to  Chebogue,  Yarmouth  Co.,  N.S.  He  had 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  19 

been  ordained  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Brim- 
field,  Mass.,  November  4th,  1741.    There  is  no  account 
of  any  baptism  by  Mr.   Moulton   in  Yarmouth  Co., 
except   one,   a   Mrs.   Burgess.     While   Mr.   Moulton 
resided  in  Nova  Scotia  he  visited  Horton  and  Corn- 
wallis  in  1763.     Under  his  preaching  at  these  places 
there  was  an  extensive  revival  of  religion  which  ex 
tended  generally  over  that  part  of  the  country.     He 
baptized    a   number    of   the   converts   and   organized 
them  into  a  church,  which  included  others  who  had 
been  sprinkled  in  infancy.     In  less  than  fifteen  years 
after    Mr.    Moulton    formed    this    church    of    mixed 
membership  it  had  as  an  organization  become  extinct. 
In  1763  a  Baptist  church  of  13  members,  with  Rev. 
Nathan  Mason  as  pastor,  was  organized  at  Swansea, 
Mass.     Soon  after,  this  little  church  sailed  in  a  body 
for  Nova   Scotia  and  settled   in  a  place  now  called 
Sackville,  New  Brunswick;  but  in  1771  the  founders 
of  this  emigrating  church  removed  again  to  Massa 
chusetts,  so  the  Baptist  church  of   Sackville  lost  its 
visibility  before  Henry  Alline  came  upon  the  scene. 
In  1800  a  new  Baptist  church  was  organized  at  Sack 
ville  by  Rev.  Joseph  Crandall.     This,  Dr.   Bill  says, 
probably  was  the  first  Baptist  church  constituted  in 
New   Brunswick.      (Some  maintain   that   the   former 
organization  never  became  entirely  extinct.     Editor.) 
The  first  Baptist  church  organized  in  the  Maritime 
Provinces,  and  probably  in   Canada,  was   formed  at 
Horton    (now    the    Wolfville     Baptist     Church),    on 
October  29,  1778.    It  was  organized  by  Nicholas  Pier- 
son,  who  had  been  a  local  Baptist  preacher  in  Eng 
land,  and  was  composed  of  ten  persons,  who  are  by 
some  called  "  The  fathers  and  founders  of  the  Bap- 


20  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

tist  denomination  in  the  Maritime  Provinces."  The 
names  of  the  ten  persons  were:  Nicholas  Pierson, 
Benjamin  Sanford,  John  Clark,  Peter  Bishop,  Silas 
Beals,  Benjamin  Kinsman,  Jr.,  Daniel  Huntley,  John 
Coldwell,  Esther  Pierson  and  Hannah  Kinsman. 
With  the  organization  of  the  Horton  church,  Bap 
tists  of  the  Maritime  Provinces  entered  upon  an  inde 
pendent  existence,  and  thenceforth  contended  for  the 
Faith  with  increasing  zeal  and  devotion.  Rev. 
Nicholas  Pierson,  the  first  pastor,  retired  from  office 
in  1791,  and  moved  to  Hopewell,  N.B.  His  successor 
was  Rev.  Theodore  Seth  Harding,  who  ministered  to 
the  church  from  June,  1795,  to  his  death  in  1855. 
Mr.  Harding' s  ministry  was  fruitful  in  great  blessings 
to  his  church  and  the  denomination.  When  he  began 
his  pastorate,  the  Horton  church  was  the  only  Baptist 
church  in  the  Maritime  Provinces,  except  the  small 
church  in  Halifax ;  when  he  died  the  denomination 
numbered  200  churches.  When  his  ministry  began 
the  Baptists  probably  had  less  than  a  hundred  mem 
bers  ;  when  his  ministry  closed  they  numbered  not 
less  than  18,000  communicants.  There  was  but  little 
or  no  increase  in  the  number  of  Baptists  from  1752 
to  1776;  nor  would  there  have  been  at  a  later  day, 
had  not  times  of  refreshing  come  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord. 

(2)  Religious  Movements.  Having  now  traced 
briefly  the  organized  efforts  to  establish  and  perpetuate 
Baptist  principles  in  the  Maritime  Provinces  up  to 
1800  A.D.,  we  can  consider  the  religious  movements 
out  of  which  these  organizations  arose. 

Henry  Alline.  Coincident  with  the  Revolutionary 
War  in  the  New  England  Colonies,  there  was  a  remark- 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  21 

able  religious  awakening  in  the  Province  of  Nova 
Scotia.  Indeed,  for  about  thirteen  years  previous  to 
thi?  time  there  had  been  local  revivals  at  Horton,  Fal- 
mouth  and  Newport.  But  there  came  a  special  out 
pouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  people  in  connec 
tion  with  the  preaching  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Alline.  It 
continued  through  his  public  life,  a  period  of  eight 
years.  This  revival  began  about  fifteen  years  after  the 
Puritans  came  to  occupy  the  lands  vacated  by  the  ex 
pelled  Acadian  French.  There  was  at  this  time  in  the 
religious  life  of  the  clergymen  and  the  churches  under 
their  care  a  state  of  apathy  and  gross  worldliness. 
The  Episcopal  and  Puritan  ministers  and  churches 
were  droning  away  their  lives.  Godless  living  in  its 
manifold  forms  was  in  the  ascendant.  Doubtless  some 
of  the  ministers,  and  not  a  few  members  of  the 
churches,  were  pious:  -but  their  influence  had  been 
neutralized  until  it  had  diminished  almost  to  the  van 
ishing  point.  The  voice  of  Alline  to  the  people  was : 
Awake  from  the  dead  and  Christ  shall  give  you  light. 
Both  the  Puritan  and  Episcopal  ministers  were  startled 
and  shocked,  and  at  once  took  an  attitude  of  hostility 
toward  the  leader  of  the  revival. 

Henry  Alline,  when  twelve  years  old,  emigrated  with 
his  parents   from  Connecticut  to  Falmouth  in  Nova 
Scotia.     After  a   long  season   of  agonizing  spiritual 
conflict,  Mr.  Alline  says  that  he  came  fully  into  the 
light.     In  his  account  of  his  conversion  he  says,  "  My 
soul  that  was  a  few  minutes  ago  groaning  under  moun-% 
tains   of   death,    wading   through   storms    of   sorrow,   ' 
racked  with  distressing   fears  and  crying  to  an  un 
known  God  for  help,  was  now  filled  with  immortal 
love,  soaring  on  the  wings  of  faith,  freed  from  the 


22  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

chains  of  death  and  darkness,  and  crying  out — '  My 
Lord  and  my  God !'  In  the  midst  of  all  my  joys,  in 
less  than  half  an  hour  after  my  soul  was  set  at  liberty, 
the  Lord  discovered  to  me  my  labor  in  the  ministry, 
and  call  to  preach  the  Gospel.  I  cried  out,  'Amen. 
Lord,  I'll  go,  I'll  go  !  Send  me,  ,send  me !'  " 

He  looked  abroad  on  what  is  now  the  Maritime 
Provinces,  and  saw  the  religious  condition  of  the 
people.  Mr.  Alline's  ministry  began  in  1776. 

The  holy  passion  to  save  souls  consumed  him,  and 
blinded  him  to  all  obstacles.  He  seemed  to  fly  over 
the  country.  Where  he  found  no  bridle  path  he  dis 
mounted  and,  both  in  summer  and  winter,  either 
threaded  his  way  through  forests  or  along  sea-shores 
or  risked  the  peril  of  the  sea  in  schooners  or  open 
boats. 

The  eight  years  into  which  Henry  Alline  poured  the 
rich  treasure  of  his  life,  made  a  new  epoch  in  the 
religious  history  of  these  provinces.  Only  the  omnis 
cient  Christ,  the  head  of  the  Church,  sees  the  full 
fruitage  of  that  ministry  on  the  souls  saved  and  in 
the  faith-life  of  the  people  of  the  Maritime  Provinces. 
It  has  pulsated  in  every  revival  since  that  day ;  and 
will  go  on  throbbing  to  the  end  of  time.  The  tendency 
of  the  sentiments  and  powerful  preaching  of  Henry 
Alline  was  to  upset  usages  so  hoary  with  age  that  they 
were  considered  by  them  who  practised  and  defended 
them  as  their  special  possession,  received  by  an  inher 
ited  and  Divine  right.  The  central  principle  operating 
in  Alline's  teaching  and  general  labors  was,  in  effect, 
an  attack  upon  the  foundations  of  this  state  of  things 
in  the  Province.  Upon  each  man  and  woman  and 
intelligent  child,  the  evangelist  rolled  the  personal 


THE   MARITIME  PROVINCES          23 

responsibility  of  examining  God's  Word,  and  settling 
the  greatest  of  problems — the  salvation  of  the  soul. 

Successors.  The  work  begun  by  Henry  Alline  was 
continued  by  his  successors,  Rev.  John  Payzant  at 
Cornwallis,  Rev.  Thomas  Handly  Chipman  at 
Annapolis,  Rev.  Harris  Harding  at  Yarmouth,  Rev. 
Joseph  Dimock  at  various  places  along  the  Atlantic 
shore  west  of  Halifax,  Rev.  Edward  Manning  at  Corn 
wallis,  and  Rev.  James  Manning,  who  became  an 
itinerant  preacher,  and  travelled  extensively  in  Nova 
Scotia,  New  Brunswick  and  the  State  of  Maine. 

The  foregoing  account  of  the  beginnings  of  Baptist 
history  in  the  Maritime  Provinces  will  show  that  the 
period  up  to  1800  A.D.  was  one  of  individual  effort. 
Preachers  went  forth  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Missionary  Societies  came  later. 

2.  NOVA  SCOTIA  BAPTIST  ASSOCIATION. 

(1)  Formation,  Steps.  Difficulties  arose  in  the 
New  Light  churches  on  matters  of  faith  and  practice. 
To  consider  these  difficulties  and  to  advise  one  another 
as  to  methods  of  removing  them,  the  ministers  held  a 
Conference  at  Cornwallis,  July  I4th,  1797.  There 
were  present  John  Payzant,  Thomas  H.  Chipman, 
James  Manning,  Edward  Manning.  At  this  confer 
ence  the  names  of  T.  S.  Harding  and  John  Burton  do 
not  appear.  They  were  the  pastors  of  the  only  two 
Baptist  churches  then  in  the  Maritime  Provinces. 
This  may  account  for  their  absence.  At  the  second 
meeting  of  the  Conference  in  Cornwallis,  in  1798,  in 
witnessing  the  immersion  of  a  number  of  persons, 
Rev.  Edward  Manning's  state  of  hesitancy  and 


24          THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

doubt  respecting  baptism  ended.  Soon  after  this  he 
was  immersed.  The  third  meeting  of  the  Conference 
was  held  at  Cornwallis  in  1799,  and  was  called  "  The 
Baptist  and  Congregational  Association." 

Organisation.  The  meeting  of  the  Association  of 
1800  was  held  at  Lower  Granville,  N.S.,  on  the  23rd 
and  24th  of  June,  when  the  name  Congregational  was 
dropped  and  the  Association  was  called  "  The  Nova 
Scotia  Baptist  Association."  The  following  churches, 
by  their  ministers  and  messengers,  were  represented 
at  this  Association:  First  Baptist  Church  in  Anna 
polis,  minister,  T.  H.  Chipman;  messengers,  Timothy 
Rice  and  Abner  Hall;  Digby  Baptist  Church,  Enoch 
Turner,  minister ;  Second  Baptist  Church  in  the  County 
of  Annapolis,  James  Manning,  minister;  Brother 
Theodore  S.  Harding,  minister  of  the  Baptist  Church 
in  the  township  of  Horton ;  Newport  Church,  George 
Dimock,  messenger;  Sackville,  New  Brunswick, 
Baptist  Church,  Joseph  Crandall,  minister ;  Yarmouth 
Church,  Harris  Harding,  minister;  Church  at  Corn 
wallis,  Edward  Manning,  minister;  Brother  Joseph 
Dimock,  minister  of  the  Baptist  and  Congregational 
Church,  in  the  township  of  Chester. 

Significance.  So  the  cleavage  which  for  some  years 
before  this  had  been  appearing  in  the  New  Light 
churches,  between  the  Baptist  and  Psedo-Baptist  minis 
ters  and  members,  now  issued  in  a  formal  separation. 
The  church  at  Halifax,  led  by  John  Burton,  had 
adopted  the  policy  of  the  churches  in  the  United 
States  in  respect  to  Communion.  It  could  not,  there 
fore,  unite  with  an  Association  of  churches  in  which 
there  was  such  a  mixture,  both  in  membership  and  in 
communion.  The  larger  part  of  its  members  were 
negroes. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  25 

Activities  Illustrated.  At  this  Association  at  Gran- 
ville  the  following  resolution  was  passed :  "  That 
whereas  brother  Enoch  Turner  is  prosecuted  for  the 
solemnization  of  the  banns  of  matrimony,  which  affects 
the  whole  body,  we  agree  to  recommend  to  our 
churches  to  contribute  towards  defraying  the  expenses 
of  the  said  suit ;  and  further  agree  that  brother  Chip- 
man,  brother  Dimock  and  brother  Edward  Manning 
should  accompany  and  advise  and  assist  in  said  busi 
ness."  The  case  was  carried  to  Halifax,  where  a  verdict 
was  unanimously  rendered  in  favor  of  Mr.  Turner. 
Some  time  after  this  James  Innis,  a  Baptist  minister 
of  New  Brunswick,  was  fined  fifty  pounds  and  im 
prisoned  a  year  for  the  same  offence. 

By  advice  of  the  Association  at  Lower  Granville  in 
June,  1801,  Rev.  Edward  Manning  and  Rev.  Theodore 
S.  Harding  accompanied  Rev.  Joseph  Crandall  on  a 
tour  through  New  Brunswick.  At  Waterborough  they 
organized  a  Baptist  church,  composed  largely  of 
former  members  of  the  Congregational  church, 
who,  in  the  spring  of  1800,  had,  with  their 
pastor,  Elijah  Estabrooks,  been  immersed  by 
Rev.  Joseph  Crandall.  They  assisted  the  church 
in  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Elijah  Estabrooks  as 
their  pastor.  Mr.  Manning  passed  up  the  River  St. 
John  and  organized  a  church  of  27  members  at  Prince 
William  and  Queensbury.  Mr.  Crandall  and  Mr. 
Harding  visited  Norton  and  organized  a  Baptist 
church  there,  over  which  Mr.  Innis  was  ordained  as 
pastor. 

Standing  at  Time.  The  strength  of  the  denomina 
tion  in  1800  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  state 
ment  in  reference  to  the  churches  and  the  ministers. 


26          THE   BAPTISTS   OF  CANADA 

At  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  churches  at 
the  following  places  were  called  Baptist  churches: 
Yarmouth,  Digby,  Lower  Granville,  Upper  Granville, 
Cornwallis,  Horton,  Halifax,  Chester,  Sackville, 
Norton,  Waterborough,  Prince  William  and  Ragged 
Islands.  Of  these  thirteen  churches  only  two,  one  at 
Halifax  and  the  one  at  Ragged  Islands,  could  be  said 
to  be  strictly  Baptist  churches.  The  one  at  Horton 
had  relaxed  its  rule  of  communion  two  years  after  it 
was  formed.  The  churches  at  Digby,  Sackville,  Nor 
ton  and  Prince  William  and  Waterborough,  which  had 
been  recently  formed,  were  probably  composed  of  im 
mersed  members  only ;  but  the  churches  at  Yarmouth, 
Lower  Granville,  Upper  Granville,  Cornwallis  and 
Chester  were  still  of  mixed  membership.  In  the  year 
1800,  there  were  twelve  pastors  who,  barring  academic 
training,  were  well  qualified  for  their  work.  They 
possessed  many  excellencies  which  it  would  be  difficult 
to  exaggerate.  Thomas  Handly  Chipman,  and  Elijah 
Estabrooks,  James  Manning,  Edward  Manning,  Joseph 
Dimock,  Harris  Harding,  Theodore  Seth  Harding, 
John  Burton,  Enoch  Turner,  John  Craig,  Joseph  Cran- 
dall  and  James  Innis,  were  a  band  of  loving  brothers, 
filled  with  zeal  and  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice.  The  care 
of  all  the  churches  and  of  all  the  country  was  upon 
them.  They  often  visited  each  other,  not  for  social 
purposes  alone,  but  more  especially  for  the  purpose 
of  rendering  help  to  each  other  in  evangelistic  work. 
These  pioneers  have  left  the  denomination  a  rich  and 
inspiring  legacy. 

(2)  History  to  1809.  The  future  of  the  Baptists 
of  the  Maritime  Provinces  was  largely  determined  by 
the  ground  taken  at  the  Association  in  1800.  The 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  27 

second  session  was  held  at  Horton  and  the  third  at 
Cornwallis,  June  2Oth,  1802.  The  question  of  baptism 
and  church  membership  was  discussed,  and  it  was 
agreed  "that  the  ordinance  of  baptism  should  not  be 
administered  to  any  but  those  that  join  the  churches, 
except  in  places  where  they  cannot  be  blessed  with 
such  a  privilege."  In  1804  the  Association  was  held 
at  Waterborough,  New  Brunswick,  and  in  1805  at 
Horton,  N.S.  The  Communion  question  greatly 
troubled  the  brethren  at  Cornwallis  for  a  number  of 
years.  The  advice  of  sister  churches  was  sought,  but 
dissension  continued.  By  a  majority  vote  at  the  meet 
ing  of  the  Association  in  Yarmouth  in  1808,  the  Corn 
wallis  church  was  advised  to  abide  by  the  strict 
observance  of  the  New  Testament  order.  In  1809,  the 
Association  met  at  Cornwallis  on  the  26th,  27th  and 
28th  of  June.  After  an  extended  discussion  the  form 
and  order  to  which  for  many  years  the  churches  had 
been  tending  were  now  reached  by  the  decision  of  the 
Association,  when  it  was  resolved  "to  withdraw  fellow 
ship  from  all  churches  who  admit  unbaptized  persons 
to  what  is  called  occasional  communion,"  and,  "  to  con 
sider  themselves  a  close  communion  Baptist  associa 
tion." 

(3)     History       (1810-1821).  Position    in    1810. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Association  held  at 
Sackville,  N.B.,  June,  1810,  fourteen  churches,  nine 
in  Nova  Scotia  and  five  in  New  Brunswick,  were 
represented.  The  total  membership  was  924.  For 
the  first  time  -minutes  were  published.  The  records 
make  no  reference  to  Home  or  Foreign  Missions,  Sun 
day  Schools  or  education.  Their  history  shows  that 
they  were  in  a  transition  state :  i.  They  were  converted 


28  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

to  God.  2.  They  organized  churches.  3.  Their 
churches,  as  light  increased,  were  found  to  be  imper 
fectly  constructed.  4.  The  next  thing  to  do  was  to 
come  into  Gospel  order.  5.  When  the  churches  were 
reconstructed  they  proceeded  to  organize  their  Associa 
tion  on  a  correct  basis.  Substantial  work  was  done 
and  valuable  aid  was  rendered  by  the  Massachusetts 
Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society,  which  then  covered 
what  is  now  the  State  of  Maine.  The  missionaries  to 
the  provinces  were  Elders  Case,  Hale  and  Merrill. 

Growth  in  Numbers.  The  Annual  Reports  at  the 
successive  meetings  of  the  Association  show  the  growth 
of  the  body  in  number  of  churches  and  membership. 
In  eleven  years  eleven  new  churches  were  received. 
In  1821  the  membership  had  grown  to  1,827. 

Foreign  Missions.  At  the  meeting  at  Chester,  N.S., 
in  i8i/j.,  the  first  offering  for  foreign  missions  was 
made.  Amount,  £8  135.— $34.00.  This  may  be  re 
garded  as  the  commencement  of  our  Foreign  Mission 
enterprise. 

Home  Missions.  At  this  meeting  also,  Joseph  Cran- 
dall  and  Samuel  Bancroft  were  commissioned  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  people  on  the  shore  to  the 
eastward  of  Chester,  each  to  receive  five  shillings  per 
day,  during  three  months,  and  the  Association  pledged 
itself  to  see  it  paid.  This  was  the  first  systematic 
effort  of  the  Fathers  in  the  Home  Mission  Department. 
Prior  to  this,  they  had  all  been  missionaries  in  turn, 
but  under  no  direction  by  any  organization,  and  no  one 
was  pledged  to  see  them  paid  for  their  services;  but 
from  this  time  forward,  men  were  sent  forth  to  do 
mission  work. 

First  Missionary  Society.    In  1815  it  was  voted  that 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  29 

the  Association  be  considered  a  Missionary  Society, 
and  with  them  be  left  the  whole  management  of  the 
mission  business.  This  is  the  first  regular  Mission 
ary  Society  constituted  by  the  Fathers. 

First  Mission  Boards.  In  1820  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  attend  to  missionary  concerns  in  Nova 
Scotia  and  a  similar  committee  for  New  Brunswick. 
This  is  the  beginning  of  Boards.  In  this  year  the 
Female  Mite  Society,  of  the  Germain  Street  Church, 
St.  John,  contributed  for  missions  $60.72. 

Advance  in  Christian  Life  and  Policy.  While  the 
foregoing  statements  may  indicate  in  a  general  way 
the  numerical  growth  of  the  body,  the  minutes  show 
that  the  churches  were  growing  in  intensity  of  convic 
tion  and  righteousness  of  life.  The  circular  letters 
from  year  to  year  and  the  references  to  discussions 
show  that  the  problems  of  the  Christian  life  pressed 
on  the  consciences  of  the  members.  Some  of  the  sub 
jects  considered  were :  The  terms  of  church  member 
ship  and  communion ;  the  qualifications  and  duties  of 
ministers  of  the  Gospel ;  the  worldly  spirit  of  the 
churches;  the  need  of  a  more  liberal  support  of  the 
ministry;  the  duty  of  parents  and  guardians  to  the 
youthful  part  of  their  families ;  the  need  of  missionary 
spirit;  the  need  of  greater  zeal  for  God;  the  nature 
and  excellence  of  religion ;  Christian  communion ; 
stability  in  the  doctrines  of  Grace.  The  years  from 
1810  to  1821  were  not  so  remarkable  for  growth  in 
numbers  as  some  other  periods,  yet  in  expansion  of 
the  body  in  spiritual  life  these  years  were  years  of 
the  Right  Hand  of  the  Most  Hisrh. 

(4)  Leaders.  Rev.  Henry  Alline,  1748-1784,  the 
leader  of  the  New  Light  movement,  is  so  fully  described 


30  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

in  section  i  that  little  more  need  be  said.  Death 
claimed  his  worn-out  frame  after  only  eight  years' 
service,  but  to  the  impulse  of  his  fervent  zeal  the 
Baptists  owe  largely  the  rich  spiritual  heritage  they 
possess  to-day. 

Rev.  Thomas  Ansley,  1769-1831,  after  his  union 
with  the  Baptists  in  1801  or  1802,  preached  for  some 
time  as  an  evangelist.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Bridge 
town  church  from  1810  until  his  death,  though  he 
travelled  all  through  Nova  Scotia  preaching  the  Word 
with  intense  earnestness. 

Rev.  John  Burton,  1838,  organized  a  church  in  Hali 
fax,  1795.  It  joined  the  Baptist  Association  in  1811. 

Rev.  Thomas  Handly  Chipman,  1756-1830,  was  a 
co-laborer  of  Henry  Alline  and  John  Payzant,  in  the 
early  days  of  his  ministry.  He  was  baptized  in  1778, 
and  became  pastor  of  Nictaux  in  1809,  where  he  died. 

Rev.  Wm.  Chipman,  1781-1865,  was  a  pastor  of 
the  Second  Cornwallis  Church,  from  1829  to  1858. 
His  whole  life  was  one  of  consecrated  service. 

Rev.  Joseph  Crandall,  1775-1858,  assumed  his  first 
pastorate,  that  of  Sackville,  New  Brunswick,  in  1799. 
He  founded  many  churches  throughout  New  Bruns 
wick.  The  New  Brunswick  Baptists  point  to  him  as 
the  one  who  established  Baptist  work  in  that  province. 

Rev.  Peter  Crandall,  1770-1838,  a  brother  of  Joseph 
Crandall,  also  travelled  extensivel  proclaiming  the 
Gospel  with  great  power.  He  was  the  founder  of 
Baptist  work  in  the  county  of  Digby. 

Rev.  Joseph  Dimock,  1768-1846,  began  to  preach  in 
1790,  and  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
and  Baptist  Church  in  Chester,  1793,  in  which  relation 
ship  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  church 
joined  the  Baptist  Association  in  1811. 


HEROES  OF  THE  CROSS   IN  THE   EAST. 


REV.  I.  WALLACE. 
Rmv.  ,T.   ORANHAT.!,. 


REV.  E.  KEIRSTEAD. 
REV.  S.  HARTT. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  31 

Rev.  Elijah  Estabrooks,  1756-1825,  formerly  a  Con- 
gregationalist,  was  baptized  in  1800  by  Rev.  Joseph 
Crandall.  He  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  as  pastor  of  the 
Waterloo  Church,  'but  travelled  far  and  wide  through 
out  New  Brunswick  with  the  gospel  message. 

Rev.  Theodore  Seth  Harding,  1773-1855,  at  first 
a  Methodist,  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
Church  in  Horton  (now  Wolfville),  in  1796.  Though 
he  travelled  extensively  in  the  United  States  and 
the  provinces,  he  remained  pastor  of  that  church  until 
his  death. 

Rev.  Harris  PI ar ding,  1761-1854,  became  a  Baptist 
in  1799.  He  settled  in  Yarmouth  in  1797,  where  he 
continued  as  pastor  until  his  death,  though  like  the 
other  pioneers  he  not  only  evangelized  well  the  terri 
tory  contiguous  to  his  own  church,  but  went  abroad 
on  evangelistic  tours.  The  church  joined  the  Baptist 
Association  in  1828. 

Rev.  Edzvard  Manning,  1766-1851,  was  ordained 
over  the  Congregational  Church,  Cornwallis,  in  1795. 
Becoming  a  Baptist  in  1798,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
powerful,  practical  and  wise  leaders  in  the  founding 
and  establishment  of  Baptist  denomination  in  Nova 
Scotia.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Horton 
Academy  and  Acadia  College.  The  Cornwallis  Church 
joined  the  Baptist  Association  in  1807. 

Rev.  Jas.  Manning,  1763-1818,  a  brother  of  Edward 
Manning,  was  also  a  Congregationalist,  but  became 
a  Baptist,  and  was  ordained  in  1796  pastor  of  the 
Lower  Granville  Church,  where  he  died.  Like  the 
others,  he  travelled  extensively  as  an  evangelist,  and 
was  greatly  honored  of  God. 
v  Rev,  Bbeneser  Moulton  remained  only  nine  years 


32  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

in  Nova  Scotia,  about  1761-1770.  He  formed  a 
church  of  Baptists  and  Congregationalists  in  1763, 
but  it  became  extinct  after  his  removal.  Four  or 
five  of  the  members  united  with  the  Baptist  church 
organized  at  Horton,  1778. 

Rev.  John  Payzant,  1744-1834,  was  a  brother-in-iaw 
of  Henry  Alline.  His  father  was  closely  connected 
with  him  in  the  New  Light  revival.  While  he  always 
remained  friendly  to  the  Baptist  ministers,  he  never 
became  a  Baptist.  Yet  he  deserves  honor  by  Bap 
tists  for  the  spiritual  impulse  he  gave  to  the  religious 
life  of  his  time. 

Of  Rev.  Enoch  Turner,  who  is  mentioned  as  the 
pastor  of  Digby  Church,  little  more  is  known  by  the 
writer  of  these  sketches. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  majority  of  these  men 
lived  to  render  valiant  service  in  the  succeeding  period, 
but  they  were  so  intimately  associated  with,  and  so 
fundamental  to,  the  progress  of  this  period  that  their 
names  should  be  identified  with  the  period.  To  them 
Baptists  owe  the  splendid  foundation  upon  which 
has  been  reared  a  Baptist  church  membership  at  the 
present  of  nearly  70,000. 

3.  CO-OPERATION,  1821-1846. 

Relation  of  the  Provinces.  When  the  New  Bruns 
wick  Association  was  formed  in  1821  a  period  began 
in  which  the  three  provinces  carried  on  their  activities 
under  two  different  organizations.  There  was,  how 
ever,  an  exchange  of  delegates  between  the  two  associa 
tions.  This  not  only  promoted  the  sense  of  oneness, 
maintained  the  spirit  of  fellowship  and  encouraged 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  33 

and  inspired  both  to  higher  and  .better  work,  but  pre 
pared  the  way  in  no  small  measure  for  the  "  Maritime 
Convention."  In  addition  to  this  exchange  of  delegates 
there  was  co-operation  in  Education,  Foreign  Mis 
sions,  Publications,  Sunday  School  Work  and  Union 
Societies.  Our  task  in  this  section  will  be  to  recount 
the  history  as  it  relates  to  this  co-operation.  The  steps 
preceding  co-operation  in  these  matters  will  be  sketched 
in  the  next  two  chapters. 

(1)  Education.  The  initiative  in  educational 
work  was  taken,  as  will  be  seen,  by  Nova  Scotia. 
The  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Education  Society  was  organ 
ized  in  June,  1828,  at  Horton,  and  under  its  auspices 
Morton  Academy  was  established  and  began  its  memor 
able  career  on  May  i,  1829,  with  fifty  youths  in  attend 
ance.  At  its  first  annual  meeting  the  Society  addressed 
a  letter  to  the  New  Brunswick  Association  appealing 
to  that  body  and  to  the  Baptists  of  that  province  to 
aid  them  in  their  heavy  undertaking.  What  the 
response  to  this  appeal  was  we  do  not  know,  but  in 
1836  the  New  Brunswick  Baptists,  with  about  2,000 
members  in  their  churches,  established  the  Fredericton 
Seminary.  Two  years  later  the  Nova  Scotia  brethren 
decided  to  establish  a  college.  Lectures  began  Jaunary, 
1839.  In  these  attempts  to  give  a  liberal  education 
to  their  people  and  in  other  efforts  to  advance  the  cause 
of  a  common  educational  system,  the  Baptists  of  the 
Maritime  Provinces  gave  each  other  much  assistance 
and  encouragement,  though  there  seems  to  have  been 
no  formal  union. 

(2)    Foreign    Missions.       The   first   steps   toward 
co-operation  in  Foreign  Missions  were  taken  in  1838, 
-hen  the  Nova   Scotia  Association  proposed  to  the 
3 


34  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

New  Brunswick  Association  that  "  a  united  society 
for  the  maintenance  of  foreign  missions  "  'be  formed, 
and  further  that  "  the  New  Brunswick  Association 
form  itself  into  a  Foreign  Missionary  Society  and 
unite  with  them  in  a  pledge  to  sustain  some  suitable 
young  man  at  Acadia  College  while  getting  his  educa 
tion  preparatory  to  going  as  their  missionary  to  the 
heathen."  The  suggestion  received  a  hearty  response, 
and  R.  E.  Burpee  was  chosen  as  the  candidate,  half 
of  his  expenses  being  borne  by  each  association.  The 
two  committees,  appointed  by  the  two  associations, 
formed  practically  a  single  committee  for  this  work 
They  not  only  united  in  their  support  of  Mr.  Burpee 
as  a  student,  but  together  chose  his  field  of  labor  and 
guaranteed  his  support.  Mr.  Burpee  left  Nova  Scotia 
for  Bui-mall,  April  2Oth,  1845. 

(3)  Publication.      The  first  Baptist  publication  in 
Canada  was  the  Missionary  Magazine,  published  under 
the  auspices  of  the  two  associations  in  1828.     It  was 
superseded   in    1839  by   the    Christian   Messenger,   a 
weekly  newspaper,  which  continued  to  be  the  common 
denominational    organ    of    the    Baptists    of   the    two 
provinces  until  after  the  close  of  this  period.    A  fuller 
statement  will  be  found  in  the  next  chapter 

(4)  Sunday    Schools.       There    was    co-operation, 
indeed   union,  in   Sunday    School   work,  for   in    1840 
"The   Nova   Scotia   and    New    Brunswick    Sabbath 
School   Union"   was   formed,   with   Rev.   I.   E.   Bill, 
President,  and    I.  L.   Chipman,    Secretary-Treasurer 
and  Depositary.     The  General  Union  was  to  have  two 
branches,  one  in  each  province,  with  their  respective 
officers. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  35 

(5)  Union  Societies.  It  would  seem  from  some 
references  as  if  a  General  Union  were  in  existence  in 
respect  to  the  Union  Societies  treated  in  the  next 
chapter,  but  the  writer  has  been  unable  to  get  any 
accurate  information.  That  there  was  co-operation  in 
the  organization  of  such  societies  and  in  the  extension 
of  interest  in  their  objects  is  quite  evident. 

4.  THE  BAPTIST  CONVENTION  OF  NOVA  SCOTIA,  NEW 
BRUNSWICK  AND  PRINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND. 

(l)  The  Organization.  Formation.  For  some 
years  the  need  of  a  closer  union  of  the  denomination 
had  been  forcing  itself  upon  the  Baptists  of  the  Mari 
time  provinces.  "  In  1844,"  says  Dr.  Saunders,  "  Rev. 
Chas.  Tupper  carried  a  special  message  from  the  Nova 
Scotia  Association  to  the  one  in  New  Brunswick." 
It  was  to  the  effect  that  closer  relations  between  the 
two  bodies  were  desirable,  and  that  union  in  educa 
tional  work  would  be  mutually  helpful.  In  the  follow 
ing  year  committees  from  the  two  Associations  had  a 
conference  to  consider  the  proposed  union.  At  this 
meeting  a  constitution  was  framed,  which  was  sub 
mitted  to  the  Nova  Scotia  Association  in  1846.  On  the 
2ist  of  September,  of  the  same  year,  the  Maritime 
Convention  was  organized  at  St.  John. 

Objects.  The  declared  objects  were,  "  to  maintain 
the  religious  and  charitable  institutions  hereinafter 
mentioned;  to  procure  correct  information  relative 
to  the  Baptist  body ;  and  to  advance  and  carry  on  such 
measures  as  may,  with  the  Divine  blessing,  tend  to 
advance  the  interests  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  and 
the  cause  of  God  generally."  The  objects  named  were 


36  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Foreign  Mission,  Bible  Circulation,  and  the  Infirm 
Ministers'  Fund. 

The  Constitution,  among  other  things,  contained  the 
names  of  the  offices  to  be  filled;  stated  the  objects  of 
the  Convention;  provided  for  membership  in  propor 
tion  to  contributions  to  Convention  funds,  except  in 
the  case  of  Associations,  which  were  to  be  entitled  to 
send  five  delegates,  and  the  Missionary  or  Educational 
Board,  which  were  entitled  to  one  delegate  each ;  gave 
instructions  as  to  the  payment  and  distribution  of 
funds;  and  arranged  for  two  Boards  of  fifteen  mem 
bers  each,  one  for  the  Foreign  Missionary  and  Bible 
Cause,  and  the  other  to  have  charge  of  and  direct  the 
funds  for  superannuated  ministers  and  their  families. 

Officers  for  1846-7.  President,  Rev.  Theodore  S. 
Harding,  of  Horton;  Vice-Presidents,  Rev.  Edward 
Manning,  of  Cornwallis,  Rev.  Joseph  Crandall,  of  Sal 
isbury,  Hon.  J.  W.  Johnston,  of  Halifax,  Hon.  W.  B. 
Kinnear,  of  Fredericton;  Secretaries,  Rev.  I.  E.  Bill, 
of  Nictaux,  Rev.  Samuel  Elder,  of  Fredericton;  Re 
cording  Secretary,  Rev.  Charles  Spurden,  of  Frederic- 
ton;  Treasurers,  J.  W.  Nutting,  Esq.,  of  Halifax, 
Nathan  S.  Daniels,  Esq.,  of  St.  John ;  Auditor,  J.  T. 
Smith,  Esq. 

Changes  in  Constitution.  Domestic  Missions  became 
an  object  of  the  Convention  probably  in  1847,  though 
the  constitution  was  not  changed  until  1851,  when 
Education  was  also  added.  Domestic  Missions  con 
tinued  to  be  one  of  the  objects  named  until  1857,  but 
during  all  those  years  no  report  was  presented  and  no 
oversight  taken.  In  1874  a  movement  began  to  have 
Home  Missions,  as  we  more  commonly  speak  of  Do 
mestic  Missions,  come  under  the  control  of  the  Con- 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  37 

vention.  The  result  was  not  achieved  until  1879.  In 
1894  the  work  in  New  Brunswick  again  reverted  to 
Provincial  control,  but  in  Nova  Scotia  and  Prince 
Edward  Island  it  still  remains  under  the  direction  of 
a  board  appointed  by  the  Convention. 

It  has  been  felt  wise  by  the  editor  -to  leave  Home 
Missions  to  be  discussed  in  connection  with  the  history 
of  the  respective  provinces  in  Chapters  II.  and  III. 
The  fund  for  superannuated  ministers  remained  in  the 
constitution  as  an  object  of  the  Convention  until  1857, 
but  little  control  seems  to  have  been  exercised  by  the 
Convention  board,  and  in  a  few  years  the  funds  were 
divided  amongst  the  associations. 

(2)  Progress  Under.  Education,  though  not 
included  in  the  constitution  until  1851,  became  an  ob 
ject  of  the  Convention  in  1847,  and  the  following  year, 
by  vote  of  the  Convention,  Acadia  College  was  made 
the  college  of  the  Baptists  of  the  three  Maritime  Pro 
vinces.  Rev.  John  Pryor  was  then  President  of  the 
college.  He  resigned  in  1850,  and  for  the  succeeding 
year  Professor  Isaac  L.  Chipman,  when  nearly  the 
whole  denomination  seemed  to  have  lost  heart,  carried 
the  heavy  burden.  Rev.  J.  M.  Cramp,  of  whom  we 
shall  read  in  the  Ontario  and  Quebec  sketch,  became 
President  in  June,  1851.  There  were  only  sixteen 
students  in  the  college,  and  a  heavy  debt.  The  people 
were  discouraged,  but  the  new  President  faced  the 
situation  with  wisdom  and  energy.  An  endowment 
fund  was  begun  which  at  the  present  time  amounts 
to  over  $300,000.  In  1853  the  college  curriculum  was 
reconstructed.  Dr.  Cramp  was  made  Principal  of  the 
Theological  Institute  which  had  been  created,  and  Dr. 
Crawley  was  appointed  President  of  the  College.  The 


38  THE    BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

latter,  owing  to  an  unfortunate  investment  of  his  own 
and  college  funds,  left  in  1855  in  an  endeavor  to  save 
at  least  a  portion.     From  then  until  1860  Dr.  Cramp 
was   Acting   President.     He    was    then    reappointed 
President   and   held   the   office   until    1869,    when   he 
resigned  to  give   himself   to  literary  pursuits.     Rev. 
A.  W.   Sawyer  succeeded  him.     In   1861   the  Grand 
Pre  Seminary,  a  school  for  young  ladies,  was  estab 
lished   at   Wolfville   by   the   Education    Society   with 
Miss  Alice  T.  Shaw  as  Principal.     The  college  build 
ing  was  burned  in  1877,  but  from  the  ashes  a  grander 
structure  soon  arose.     Dr.  Sawyer  continued  as  Presi 
dent  until  1896,  when  Rev.  Thomas  Trotter,  D.D.,  was 
called  to  the  presidency.     There  was  then  an  aggre 
gate  indebtedness  of  $70,000.     A  Forward  Movement 
resulted  in  the  raising  of  $75,000,  which  was  divided 
between  a  payment  on  the  deficit  and  an  addition  to 
the   endowment.     A   second   Forward   Movement   re 
sulted  in  an  addition  of  $200,000  more  to  the  endow 
ment.     Dr.   Trotter's   health    failing,   he    resigned    in 

1906.  Rev.   Wm.   B.   Hutchinson   was   appointed   in 

1907,  and  held  the  office  for  two  years.     The  present 
President,   Rev.   Geo.    B.    Cutten,   Ph.D.,   D.D.,   was 
appointed     February,     1910.     Under     his    leadership 
steps   are   being   taken   to   still    further   increase   the 
endowment. 

The  Theological  Department  has  had  many  difficul 
ties  with  which  to  contend  and  has  never  received  the 
support  its  importance  deserves.  It  has  recently  been 
fully  organized  and  put  on  such  a  basis  that  its  future 
success  seems  assured. 

The  1910  Report  gives  evidence  that  the  College^ 
Academy  and  Seminary  are  in  a  flourishing  condition. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  39 

The  Treasurer's  report  is  most  encouraging.  The 
enrolment  of  the  college  was  200,  of  the  Academy 
123,  and  of  the  Seminary  261.  Rev.  W.  L.  Archibald, 
M.A.,  Ph.D.,  is  Principal  of  the  Academy,  and  Rev' 
H.  T.  DeWolfe,  B.A.,  D.D.,  is  Principal  of  the 
Seminary. 

Foreign  Missions.  Mr.  Burpee  was  forced,  owing 
to  ill-health,  to  return  in  1848,  and  died  in  1853. 
Rev.  A.  Crawley  was  accepted  in  1851,  but  finally  left 
under  the  auspices  of  the  American  Baptist  Mission 
ary  Union.  For  many  years  the  Foreign  Missionary 
offerings  of  the  Maritime  Baptists  went  largely  to 
that  Society  and  the  support  of  native  workers  under 
Mr.  Crawley.  Australia  was  discussed  as  a  possible 
mission  field,  but  no  field  was  decided  upon  until  1875. 
In  1870  fresh  interest  had  been  aroused  by  the  forma 
tion  of  Mission  Aid  Societies  through  the  earnest 
efforts  of  Miss  H.  Maria  Norris.  These  were  the 
first  of  such  organizations  in  Canada,  and  nearly  the 
first  in  America.  Miss  Norris  left  for  the  foreign 
field  in  1870.  In  1873  Rev.  W.  F.  Armstrong,  Rev 
R.  Sanford,  Rev.  G.  W.  Churchill,  Miss  Maria  Arm 
strong  and  Miss  Flora  Eaton  left  for  Burmah,  and 
in  1874  Rev.  W.  B.  Boggs  joined  them.  The  Ontario 
and  Quebec  Convention  established  a  mission  in  the 
Telugu  country,  India,  in  1873,  and  proposed  to  the 
Maritime  Convention  that  they  co-operate,  and  in  1875 
the  latter  responded  by  deciding  to  permanently  locate 
an  independent  mission  in  the  Telugu  field.  At  first 
there  was  intimate  co-operation  between  the  two  Con 
ventions,  but  in  a  few  years  they  became  entirely 
separate.  The  movement  for  a  Baptist  Union  of 
Canada  begun  in  1898  seems  likely  to  result  at  least 


40          THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

in  a  union  .of  the  Foreign  Mission  operations  of  the 
Baptists  of  Canada. 

OPhe  1910  Report  shows  28  paid  workers,  of  whom 
II  are  men  and  17  single  women,  and  10  wives  of 
missionaries;  10  native  churches  with  610  members, 
December  31,  1909;  31  unordained  evangelists;  7 
colporteurs;  18  Bible-women;  19  day-schools,  with 
an  average  attendance  of  490;  61  baptisms;  and  an 
expenditure  of  $35>7I4- 

Publication.  The  Christian  Messenger  continued  as 
the  denominational  paper  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Baptists 
until  1884.  The  Christian  Visitor  was  begun  as  the 
paper  of  the  New  Brunswick  Baptists  in  1849  an(* 
continued  until  1884,  when  it  and  the  Christian  Mes 
senger  were  amalgamated  as  ^he  Messenger  and 
Visitor.  The  Free  Baptists  published  The  Religious 
Intelligencer  from  1853  to  1905,  when  it  and  The 
Messenger  and  Visitor  amalgamated  as  The  Maritime 
Baptist,  of  which  Rev.  Joseph  McLeod,  D.D.,  is  editor, 
and  E.  M.  Siprell  business  manager. 

5.    THE  UNITED  BAPTIST  CONVENTION  OF  THE 
MARITIME  PROVINCES. 

(1)  Formation.  Union  between  Free  and  Regu 
lar  Baptists  in  New  Brunswick  began  in  1883  with  a 
union  in  educational  work.  The  question  of  cor 
porate  union  was  introduced  in  1885,  when  a  joint 
committee  of  the  two  denominations  framed  a  Basis 
of  Union.  This  was  accepted  in  1887  by  the  Mari 
time  Baptist  Convention,  and  re-enacted  in  1904.  The 
Free  Baptist  Conference  accepted  it  in  1905,  and  in 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  41 

the  fall  of  the  same  year  the  two  streams  of  Baptist 
life,  that  had  had  their  source  in  the  same  revival, 
reunited,  and  their  waters  are  speedily  becoming  so 
intermingled  that  soon  it  will  be  impossible  to  tell 
which  is  which. 

(2)  Basis    of    Union.       The    two    denominations 
were  so  nearly  alike,  both  in  faith  and  practice,  that 
there  is  no  real  difference  in  the  basis  of  union  from 
what  they  had  both  formerly  believed  and  practised. 
The    chief    difficulty   was    in   respect   to   the   Lord's 
Supper.     The  statement   in   respect  to  this  is,   "  We 
believe   that   the   Lord's   Supper   is   an   ordinance   of 
Christ,  to  be  observed  by  the  churches  in  accordance 
with  His  instructions, — Matthew  xxvi.,  26-30." 

(3)  Officers    for     1910-11.        President,     Col.     D. 
McLeod    Vince,    D.C.L.;     Vice-Presidents,    W.    W. 
Clark,  Esq.,  Rev.  Z.  L.  Fash,  M.A.,  B.D.;    Secretary 
and  Editor  of  Year  Book,  H.  C.  Creed,  Litt.D.   (ap 
pointed  August  2Oth;   died  August  3ist)  ;  Rev.  J.  H. 
MacDonald,  B.A.   (appointed  by  Executive,  Septem 
ber   I3th,    1910)  ;    Assistant   Secretaries,   Rev.   J.   R. 
Colpitts,  B.D.,  Rev.  L.  H.  Crandall,  B.A.     (The  above 
officers  constitute  the  Executive.)     Treasurer,  Frank 
L.    Atherton,    Esq. ;     Treasurer    of    Denominational 
Funds:    for  Nova  Scotia,  Rev.  I.  W.  Porter,  B.A. ; 
for   New   Brunswick,   Rev.   W.   E.   Mclntyre,   D.D. ; 
for  Prince  Edward  Island,  A.  W.  Sterns,  Esq. 

(4)  Present  Denominational  Standing.     The  Bap 
tists  of  the  Maritime  Provinces  number  in  the  mem 
bership  of  their  churches  about  70,000.     They  gave 
for  denominational  objects,  other  than  local  expenses, 


42  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

$64,382.88  last  year;  2,239  'baptisms  were  reported 
by  580  churches.  The  number  of  ordained  ministers, 
members  of  the  Convention,  is  313.  There  are,  in 
addition,  104  Licentiates,  59  of  whom  are  now  in  the 
various  institutions  of  learning.  Healthful  conditions 
prevail  in  all  departments,  the  work  is  well  organized, 
and  prospects  of  strong,  aggressive  service  in  the 
future  most  encouraging. 


CHAPTER  II. 

NOVA  SCOTIA  AND  PRINCE  EDWARD 
ISLAND— 1821-1911. 

(A)    REGULAR  BAPTISTS. 

The  reading  of  the  previous  chapter  will  have  made 
clear  that  the  history  of  the  Baptists  in  the  Maritime 
Provinces  has  been  under  Divine  guidance.  It  is 
impossible  in  a  short  sketch  like  this  to  show  clearly 
the  various  ways  in  which  this  statement  is  proved. 
It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the  reader  will  seek  to  realize 
that  what  is  given  is  not  a  mere  statement  of  facts 
which  have  happened  as  though  by  chance,  but  to 
present  the  way  in  which  God  has  been  revealing  His 
will  towards  the  Baptists  of  Canada. 

Changes  in  Organization.  After  the  New  Bruns 
wick  Baptist  Association  was  created  in  1821,  the 
Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Association  continued  as  the 
organization  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Baptists  until  1851. 
They  then  divided  to  form  three  Associations- 
Western,  Central,  Eastern — each  becoming  a  Home 
Missionary  Society.  The  Nova  Scotia  Home  Mission 
ary  Society  was  organized  in  1857,  and  the  Eastern 
and  Central  Associations  placed  their  home  mission 
work  under  its  control.  The  Western  Association 
retained  control  of  its  home  mission  enterprises  until 

43 


44  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

1871,  when  "  The  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Home  Mission 
ary  Union  "  was  given  charge  of  the  home  mission 
work  for  the  Province  by  the  three  Associations.  The 
Prince  Edward  Island  Association,  formed  in  1868, 
transferred  its  home  mission  work  to  the  Missionary 
Union  in  1874.  Home  Missions  became  an  object  of 
the  Maritime  Convention  in  1879.  They  reverted  to 
Provincial  control  in  New  Brunswick  in  1894,  and  so 
continue,  but  the  Convention  retained  control  in  Nova 
Scotia  and  Prince  Edward  Island.  The  Free  Baptists 
had  a  separate  organization  until  1906.  A  sketch  of 
their  rise  and  progress  will  be  found  at  the  close  of 
this  chapter.  We  shall  follow  in  our  treatment  the 
outline  suggested  by  the  changes  in  control  of  Home 
Missions. 

i.  NOVA  SCOTIA  BAPTIST  ASSOCIATION — 1821-1851. 

The  history  of  Nova  Scotia  Baptists  during  this 
_  eriod  was  one  of  foundation-laying,  and  yet  one  of 
great  expansion. 

(1)  Denominational  Progress.  When  this  period 
began,  the  Baptists  were  a  comparatively  feeble  folk. 
There  were  only  1,291  members  in  all  of  their  17 
churches  and  they  had  only  twelve  ordained  men  to 
minister  to  them.  They  had  no  educational  insti 
tutions  and  no  political  or  social  power ;  but  they  were 
men  and  women  of  heroic  faith  and  sacrificial  spirit, 
and  the  ministers,  though  uneducated  in  the  learning  of 
the  schools,  were  deeply  spiritual  and  profoundly 
earnest  in  soul  winning.  Before  ten  years  were  passed 
they  had  an  educational  institution  and  a  religious 
magazin^  and  had  seen  their  membership  increase  to 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  45 

3,309,  their  churches  to  38,  and  their  ministers  to  27. 
Before  another  ten  years  passed  they  possessed  a  uni 
versity  and  a  weekly  religious  newspaper,  placed 
Sunday  school  work  upon  a  secure  foundation,  became 
a  Foreign  Mission  Society,  gave  the  liquor  traffic  a 
death  blow,  increased  their  membership  to  6,398  and 
organized  33  new  churches.  The  last  nine  years  of  the 
period  witnessed  the  departure  of  the  first  foreign 
missionary,  the  successful  inauguration  of  the  Union 
Society  Movement,  the  formation  of  the  Maritime 
Convention  and  the  number  of  churches  increased  to 
in,  with  a  membership  of  10,205,  with  over  50 
ministers.  The  census  returns  of  1850  makes  the 
Presbyterian  portion  of  the  population  to  be  72,924, 
the  Roman  Catholic  69,131,  the  Baptist  42,643,  the 
Episcopalian  36,115,  and  the  Methodist  23,953. 

(2)  Home  Missions.  It  is  impossible  to  place  on 
record  here  the  labors  of  the  missionaries  within  the 
borders  of  Nova  Scotia  and  Prince  Edward  Island. 
Neither  are  we  able  to  determine  exactly  the  extent  of 
the  supervision  exercised  by  the  Home  Mission  Board. 
That  they  made  many  appointments  to  destitute  places 
of  pastors  of  churches  who  were  willing  to  spend  a 
season  in  proclaiming  the  Gospel  beyond  the  confines 
of  their  own  church  is  quite  evident.  But  pastors 
seemed  to  have  undertaken  such  work  also  on  their 
own  initiative.  In  both  cases  it  was  apparently  done 
very  often  without  remuneration,  and  in  any  case 
with  very  small  assistance.  The  Board  was  enlarged 
in  1836,  and  quarterly  meetings  began  to  be  held.  Ap 
pointments  for  longer  periods  became  general.  The 
Board  was  authorized  in  1844  to  send  out  licentiates  in 
company  with  and  under  the  direction  of  ordained 


46  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

ministers.  In  1847  tne  state  of  the  Mic-Mac  Indians 
was  considered  by  the  Association.  Mr.  S.  T.  Rand, 
who  had  done  some  work  amongst  them  on  his  own 
initiative,  was  encouraged  to  continue  his  efforts.  In 
1849,  ne  was  appointed  a  missionary  to  the  Indians 
and  a  subscription  of  $80  was  raised  at  the  Association 
for  the  undertaking.  In  1850,  E.  D.  Very,  W.  Bur 
ton,  G.  Armstrong  and  J.  Parker  were  appointed  a 
committee  on  this  work.  They  subsequently  reported 
satisfactory  progress.  It  was  decided  also  in  1847 
that  colporteurs  should  be  sent  to  the  Acadian  French, 
to  circulate  among  them  copies  of  the  Word  of  God, 
religious  tracts,  etc.,  but  no  definite  work  seems 
to  have  been  done.  In  the  same  year  the  name  of 
Mayhew  Beckwith,  Esq.,  appears  upon  the  record  as 
.Treasurer  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  in  place  of 
the  late  W.  A.  Chipman.  Rev.  John  Chase  was  ap 
pointed  Financial  Agent  for  the  year  1849-50,  at  a 
salary  of  £150,  with  travelling  expenses  paid.  He 
was  re-appointed  the  following  year.  Home  Missions 
was  made  an  object  of  the  Convention  in  1847,  but 
soon  reverted  to  Provincial  control,  the  arrangement 
proving  unsatisfactory.  While  space  has  forbidden  us 
to  give  details  of  the  home  missionary  operations,  we 
are  safe  in  saying  that  60  per  cent,  of  the  denomina 
tional  growth  indicated  in  the  preceding  paragraph 
was  due  to  the  aggressive  home  missionary  efforts  of 
the  Board  and  pastors. 

(3)  Foreign  Missions.  Interest  in  Foreign  Mis 
sions  began  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  but  had  no 
systematic  expression.  Individuals,  local  churches 
and  mite  societies  contributed  as  they  were  able  to  the 
Auxiliary  Bible  Society  in  Halifax  and  the  American 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  47 

Baptist  Mission  Board.  The  first  contribution  on 
record  was  from  the  Association  which  met  in  Chester 
in  1814.  In  1822  the  first  Monday  in  each  month  was 
set  apart  as  a  time  of  united  and  special  prayer  for 
the  cause  of  God  in  heathen  and  Christian  lands.  A 
decided  forward  step  was  taken  when,  in  1832,  the 
Association  was  made  a  Society  for  both  home  and 
foreign  missions.  A  board  was  appointed  for  each 
department.  J.  W.  Nutting  and  E.  A.  Crawley  were 
Treasurer  and  Secretary  respectively  for  the  Foreign 
Board.  In  1838  a  still  more  advanced  step  was  taken, 
when  it  was  proposed  to  New  Brunswick  that  a 
united  society  be  formed  for  the  maintenance  of 
foreign  missions  and  that  they  jointly  support  some 
suitable  young  man  at  Acadia  College,  preparatory 
to  his  going  as  a  missionary  to  the  heathen.  In  the 
following  year  it  was  resolved  that  R.  E.  Burpee  be 
accepted  as  a  candidate  for  work  in  the  foreign  field, 
and  that  he  be  supported  by  the  two  Associations  while 
pursuing  his  studies  at  Horton.  In  1841,  a  com 
mittee  was  appointed  to  consult  with  New  Brunswick 
as  to  establishing  a  mission  in  some  foreign  land.  The 
report  on  Foreign  Missions  for  1843  recommended 
the  Karens  of  British  Burmah  as  a  suitable  field  for 
missionary  labor.  Mr.  Burpee,  who  had  been  set 
apart  for  the  foreign  work  and  educated  at  Horton, 
gave  great  impetus  to  the  missionary  spirit  by  his 
stirring  addresses.  Soon  after  graduating  from  Acadia 
College,  Mr.  Burpee  took  his  departure  for  Burmah, 
the  first  foreign  missionary  to  leave  British  North 
America  for  work  among  the  heathen.  Farewell  meet 
ings  were  held  for  him  and  his  wife,  Laleah,  a 
daughter  of  Lewis  Johnstone,  M.D.,  of  Wolfville,  at 


48  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Wolfville  and  Halifax.  They  left  Nova  Scotia,  April 
2Oth,  1845,  f°r  Burmah,  via  Boston.  By  the  advice  of 
the  Baptist  missionaries  on  the  ground,  they  selected 
Mergui  for  their  field  of  labor.  There  they  com 
menced  work  among  the  Karens.  As  Foreign  Missions 
became  an  object  of  the  Convention  in  1847,  and  the 
relationship  of  Nova  Scotia  Baptists  and  New  Bruns 
wick  Baptists  became  formally  merged  into  one,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  the  previous  chapter  for  its 
history  from  that  date. 

(4)  Education.  The  Baptist  position  in  respect  to 
education  seems  to  have  been  greatly  misunderstood 
in  those  early  days.  We  read  that  they  were  regarded 
as  being  opposed  to  an  educated  ministry.  It  must  be 
admitted  that  in  their  intense  spiritual  earnestness  they 
foresaw  a  danger  of  education  leading  to  less  depen 
dence  upon  God.  But  the  leaders,  at  any  rate,  recog 
nized  with  grief  the  handicap  under  which  they 
labored  through  lack  of  education.  Horton  Academy 
was  established  by  the  Baptists  of  Nova  Scotia  in 
1829.  The  story  of  the  events  leading  to  its  founding, 
so  ably  told  by  Dr.  Saunders  and  Dr.  Bill,  reads  like 
a  fairy  tale.  It  is  impossible  to  give  these  details  here. 
At  the  Association  of  1828,  a  special  meeting  for  con 
sultation  was  called  to  consider  the  education  question. 
It  was  unanimously  and  joyously  resolved  to  submit 
to  the  Association  the  education  plan  proposed  by  the 
Halifax  brethren.  Accordingly  the  "  Prospectus  of 
the  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Education  Society,  and  of  the 
Literary  and  Theological  Institution  to  be  connected 
therewith,"  was  presented  to  a  full  meeting  of  the 
Association  and  was  cordially  and  unanimously 
adopted.  The  proposal  that  "  The  Nova  Scotia  Bap- 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  49 

tist  Education  Society  "  be  formed  came  into  effect. 
The  officers  for  the  year  were:  President,  Rev.  Ed 
ward  Manning;  Vice-Presidents,  Rev.  Chas.  Tupper 
and  J.  W.  Nutting;  Treasurer,  Simon  Fitch;  Secre 
taries,  Edmund  A.  Crawley  and  Wm.  Chipman; 
Managing  Committee,  Dr.  Lewis  Johnston,  E.  A. 
Crawley,  J.  W.  Nutting,  Simon  Fitch,  J.  W.  Johnston, 
Wm.  Chipman,  and  Wm.  Johnston.  A  subscription 
was  opened  and  in  Horton  eleven  men  subscribed 
towards  the  object  $1,240.  The  response  to  the  appeal 
for  funds  was  generous.  The  entire  membership  of 
the  Baptist  churches  was  only  1,772,  many  of  whom 
were  in  very  humble  circumstances.  But  the  faith  of 
the  fathers  rested  on  a  sure  foundation  and  God 
blessed  their  self-sacrificing  zeal  in  a  most  wonderful 
way.  Asahel  Chipman,  of  Amherst  College,  Massa 
chusetts,  was  the  first  principal,  serving  one  year.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Pryor,  in  1830. 

The  only  school  for  higher  education  was  "  King's 
College,"  but  its  doors  were  closed  to  all  except  Angli 
cans.  The  Baptists  looked  forward  with  expectation 
to  the  opening  of  Dalhousie  College.  It  was  opened 
in  1837,  but  the  rejection  of  Dr.  Crawley  as  one  of 
the  professors  because  he  was  a  Baptist  stirred  the 
hearts  of  the  Baptist  leaders,  and  with  large  faith  but 
little  money  they  at  once  founded  Queen's  College,  in 
1838.  From  the  first,  no  religious  tests  were  imposed. 
Rev.  John  Pryor  and  Rev.  E.  A.  Crawley  were  the 
first  professors. 

,The  early  years  were  marked  by  struggle  and  dis 
couragement.  Deficits  multiplied.  The  first  applica 
tion  for  a  charter  failed,  and  though  a  charter  was 
granted  in  1840,  it  was  not  until  1851  that  the  charter 
4 


5o  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

was  made  perpetual.  There  were  no  college  buildings 
for  some  years.  In  1842,  Professors  Crawley  and 
Chipman  began  a  canvass  for  contributions  for  a  build 
ing.  Money  was  accepted  if  offered,  but  they  asked 
for  materials.  The  people,  though  poor,  gave  willingly. 
The  building  was  begun  in  1843,  but  was  not  finished 
until  1854.  It  was  burned  in  1877.  In  1831,  the 
Baptists  sought,  and  received,  from  the  Province  for 
their  educational  work  a  grant  of  £500.  This  was 
followed  by  an  annual  grant  of  £300.  The  acceptance 
of  state  aid  led  to  controversies  which  at  length 
became  bitter.  State  aid  closed  in  1850,  but  was 
renewed  in  1865  and  continued  until  about  1880. 

(5)  Temperance.  It  may  be  well  known  that 
Nova  Scotia  leads  Canada  in  the  strength  of  temper 
ance  sentiment,  but  it  may  not  be  so  well  known  that 
Baptists  are  largely  responsible.  In  the  first  quarter 
of  last  century  there  was  practically  no  temperance 
sentiment.  A  man  might  be  excluded  "  for  tipping 
the  bottle  too  often,"  but  limited  indulgence  was 
thought  to  be  consistent  with  membership  in  Christian 
churches.  Gradually,  however,  the  conviction  that 
drinking  was  an  evil  grew  in  strength.  Finally,  Dr. 
Lyman  Beecher  voiced  the  nascent  sentiment  of  many 
Christians  in  America.  The  effect  upon  the  Baptist 
ministers  of  Nova  Scotia  was  to  crystallize  their  con 
victions  into  a  temperance  propaganda.  The  story  of 
their  valiant  fight  is  too  long  to  tell  here.  Led  by 
Rev.  I.  E.  Bill,  Principal  Chapin,  of  Horton  Academy, 
and  other  stalwart  enthusiasts,  they  put  the  enemy  to 
rout.  By  1831  there  was  a  society  in  almost  every 
Baptist  church  in  the  Province,  and  by  1832  an  appeal 
to  the  Legislature  to  stop  the  sale  of  liquor  in  the 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  51 

Province  was  being  seriously  considered.  As  no 
further  reference  to  temperance  will  be  made  it  may 
be  said  here  that  the  movement  so  zealously  begun 
has  continued,  until  to-day  Halifax  is  the  only  muni 
cipality  where  licenses  are  issued  in  all  the  Province 
of  Nova  Scotia. 

(6)  Publication.  To  the  Nova  Scotia  Baptists 
belongs  the  honor  of  initiating  Baptist  publication 
work  in  Canada.  At  the  Association  of  1825,  a  resolu 
tion  was  passed  inviting  the  New  Brunswick  brethren 
to  unite  with  them  in  the  publication  of  a  Baptist 
magazine.  The  co-operation  was  secured,  and  in  Janu 
ary,  1837,  the  magazine  was  started  under  the  title  of 
The  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine  of  Nova  Scotia  and 
New  Brunswick.  The  Rev.  Chas.  Tupper  was 
appointed  editor  by  the  Nova  Scotia  Association.  In 
this  matter  the  Baptists  took  the  lead  of  all  the 
denominations,  and  the  wisdom  of  their  course  has 
been  amply  proven.  The  magazine  was  first  a  quar 
terly,  but  afterwards  appeared  once  in  two  months.  It 
continued  to  fill  a  most  important  place  in  the  life  of 
the  denomination.  In  1836,  however,  the  demand  for 
a  religious  newspaper  became  so  urgent  that  it  was 
decided  to  displace  the  magazine  by  a  newspaper.  John 
Ferguson  and  J.  W.  Nutting  were  appointed  editors, 
and  J.  W.  Barss  agent  in  Halifax.  The  first  number 
was  issued  at  the  beginning  of  1837,  under  the  title 
The  Christian  Messenger. 

(7)  Sunday  Schools.  There  are  no  records  which 
enable  us  to  decide  the  exact  time  and  place  that  the 
Sunday  School  as  a  medium  of  missionary  effort  began 
its  work  in  Nova  Scotia.  There  was  a  school  of  100 
scholars  at  Chester  in  1820.  In  1837,  the  Nova  Scotia 


52  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Association  resolved  itself  into  a  Sabbath  School 
Union.  Two  years  later,  J.  W.  Barss  was  made  an 
agent  for  Sunday  School  literature,  and  in  the  follow 
ing  year  a  depository  was  established  at  Wolfville 
under  the  care  of  Professor  I.  L.  Chipman.  At  the 
Association  of  that  year  it  was  resolved  that,  in  co 
operation  with  the  New  Brunswick  Association,  a 
Sunday  School  Union  should  be  formed.  D.  W.  C. 
Dimock  was  engaged  to  travel  through  Nova  Scotia  in 
the  interests  of  Sunday  Schools,  establishing  them 
wherever  practicable,  informing  the  people  where 
books  could  be  obtained  and  presenting  to  them  the 
Union  and  its  objects.  This  will  be  sufficient  to  indi 
cate  that  the  fathers  of  those  days  were  keenly  alive 
to  the  value  of  Sunday  School  work. 

(8)  Missionary  Funds.  The  principal  agencies 
for  the  raising  of  funds  were  the  Mite  Societies. 
These  were  in  many  of  the  churches.  In  1822,  the 
one  at  Windsor,  where  the  church  numbered  only  38 
members,  contributed  $39.86.  In  1827,  the  societies 
contributed  $200,  while  $355  were  contributed  from 
other  sources.  Collections  were  also  taken  at  the 
Associational  meetings.  It  need  scarcely  be  said  that 
the  women  were  the  leaders  in  the  raising  of  these 
missionary  funds.  It  was  during  this  time  that  stated 
salaries  began  to  be  given  to  pastors  appointed  to  the 
home  mission  fields.  The  year  1843  was  signalized 
by  the  inauguration  of  the  Union  Society  Movement. 
The  record  of  the  inception  of  this  movement  seems 
to  have  been  lost,  but  it  was  introduced  by  Dr. 
Alexander  Sawers  to  the  Association  of  Nova  Scotia, 
which  was  made  the  central  Union.  A  branch  society 
was  to  be  formed  in  each  church,  The  subscriptions 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  53 

made  were  to  be  designated  to  home  and  foreign 
missions,  education,  infirm  ministers  and  Sabbath 
schools.  Each  subscriber  was  expected  to  state  the 
amount  intended  for  each  object.  If  not  so  appropri 
ated,  it  would  be  divided  according  to  a  given  scale. 
In  1843,  Dr.  Sawers  was  appointed  "  Central  'Secre 
tary  for  the  Union."  Many  branch  Unions  were 
formed  and  the  plan  worked  well  for  some  years. 
Agents  were  sent  into  the  field  to  form  societies  and 
advocate  the  scheme. 

(9)  Spiritual  Life.  The  result  of  the  labors  of 
these  years  bears  sufficient  witness  to  the  spirituality 
of  the  leaders.  They  were  mostly  uneducated  and 
lived  a  simple  life.  Newspapers  were  few  and  worldly 
matters  drew  their  attention  but  little  from  spiritual 
things.  The  Bible  and  'religious  magazines  published 
in  the  United  States  made  the  principal  mental  and 
spiritual  food.  .The  associational  meetings  were  made 
times  of  spiritual  refreshment,  a  large  portion  of  the 
time  being  given  to  sermons  and  prayer.  Each  year 
in  September  a  sort  of  district  meeting  was  held  for 
the  deepening  of  spiritual  life.  It  was  from  one  of 
these  that  I.  E.  Bill  and  'his  companions  went  out  to 
do  mighty  things  for  the  Kingdom. 

In  the  midst  of  their  struggle  for  educational  privi 
leges,  their  advocacy  of  temperance  and  the  many  other 
objects  that  enlisted  the  zeal  of  the  fathers,  they  did 
not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  fire  of  spiritual  life 
must  be  fed  with  fresh  fuel.  The  annual  meeting  for 
the  deepening  of  religious  life  continued  to  be  a  time 
of  great  spiritual  refreshment.  To  extend  its  influ 
ence,  enlarge  its  powers  and  make  it  educational  as 
well  as  inspirational,  they  decided  in  1843  to  make 


54  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

the  meetings  quarterly.  That  a  larger  number  might 
be  reached,  the  Association  was  divided  into  ten 
districts,  Prince  Edward  Island  being  one.  Four 
meetings  a  year  were  to  be  held  in  each  of  these  "  for 
preaching  the  gospel,  promoting  the  general  interests 
of  religion,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  explaining 
to  the  people  the  plan  and  objects  of  the  Union  Society 
and  aiding  them  in  forming  the  needful  organization 
for  fulfilling  its  objects." 

(10)  Division.  The  division  of  the  Association 
into  Eastern,  Central  and  Western  took  place  at  the 
Associational  Meeting  of  1850.  The  old  Association 
had  done  a  mighty  work.  It  gave  birth  to  Home  and 
Foreign  Missions,  to  Educational  institutions,  to  Sab 
bath  School  organizations,  to  Union  Societies,  and  to 
agencies  designed  to  promote  the  revision  and  circula 
tion  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  But  the  growth  of  the 
denomination  seemed  to  render  advisable  the  above 
division. 

2.  CONTROL  OF  HOME  MISSIONS  BY  THREE 
ASSOCIATIONS — 1850-1857. 

(1)  The  Central  Association  held  its  first  session 
at  Cornwallis,  June  2ist,  1851.  It  was  composed  of 
33  churches,  with  3,482  members.  Rev.  T.  S.  Harding 
was  chosen  to  preside.  Arrangements  were  made  for 
promoting  Missions,  Education,  Sunday  Schools, 
Temperance,  Bible  Cause,  Christian  Messenger,  and 
the  Union  Society  Movement.  The  Home  Mission, 
Board  was  composed  of  brethren  Caleb  R.  Bill, 
William  Johnston,  A.  Parker,  G.  Cogswell,  and  Dr. 
Lewis  Johnstone.  C.  R.  Bill,  Esq.,  was  chosen 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  55 

Treasurer.  In  1853,  Elder  Hugh  Ross  was  appointed 
missionary  to  the  Gaelic  people  of  Cape  Breton.  A 
Tract  and  Colportage  Society  was  instituted  at  the 
next  session.  In  1856,  the  first  steps  toward  a  Union 
for  Home  Missionary  effort  were  taken.  This  move 
culminated  in  the  formation  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Home 
Missionary  Society  in  the  following  year. 

(2)  Eastern  Association.      The  first  session  of  the 
Eastern  Association  was  held  at  Onslow,  July   iQth, 
1851,    Rev.    S.    T.    Rand,    Moderator.      Forty-five 
churches  reported  a  membership  of  2,062.     A  Home 
Missionary  Board  was  formed  and  located  at  Antigo- 
nish.     It  was  deemed  highly  important  to  establish  a 
mission  among  Acadian  French  within  the  limits  of  the 
Association.     Work  among  the  Gaelic  people  of  Cape 
Breton  was  also  planned.     In  the  following  year  the 
Association    pledged    itself    to    co-operate    with    the 
Western  Association  in  supplying  the  French  Mission. 
The  Board  was  instructed  in  1855  to  increase  mission 
ary  labor   among  the   English  and   Scotch   of   Cape 
Breton.    The  Home  Mission  work  was  passed  over  to 
the  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society  in 
1858.     The  Association  continued,  however,  working 
on  much  the  same  lines  as  our  present  associations 
work,  although  initiation  of  direct  missionary  effort 
seems  to  have  continued  to  some  extent. 

(3)  Western  Association.     The  first  session  of  this 
Association  was  held  at  Yarmouth,  June  7th,  Qth  and 
loth,  1851.    Rev.  R.  B.  Dickie  was  the  Moderator.    It 
commenced  with  a  membership   of   5,H7-     At  this 
meeting  steps  were  taken  to  begin  work  amongst  the 
Acadian  French.     The  action  culminated  in  1853  in 
the  appointment  of  Rev.  Obed  Chute  as  missionary 


56  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

at  a  salary  of  £100  a  year,  and  Rev.  R.  W.  Cunning 
ham  as  agent  to  collect  funds.  The  1854  report  states 
that  Elders  Caldwell,  Judson  Skinner,  Robert  Walker, 
Percy  F.  Murray,  T.  C.  De  Long,  R.  S.  Norton,  Henry 
AchiMes,  Obed  Parker,  R.  W.  Cunningham  and  C. 
Randall  had  engaged  in  Home  Mission  work  and  that 
a  distinct  French  Mission  Board,  with  Rev.  W.  G. 
Goucher,  Secretary,  had  been  formed.  Encouraging 
reports  of  the  French  work  were  given  from  year  to 
year.  The  report  of  1857  states  that  27  had  been 
baptized  during  the  year  by  the  home  missionaries  of 
the  Board,  that  one  convert  from  the  Church  of  Rome 
had  been  baptized,  and  that  £312  gs.  id.  had  been  con 
tributed  for  the  benevolent  objects  of  the  Union.  The 
Association  retained  control  of  its  Home  Mission  work 
until  1871,  but  the  record  from  1857  on  is  deferred 
to  the  next  section. 

3.  THE   NOVA   SCOTIA  BAPTIST  HOME  MISSIONARY 

SOCIETY  AND  THE  WESTERN  ASSOCIATION — 

1857-1872. 

(1)  The  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Home  Missionary 
Society.  It  seems  unfortunate  the  Western  Associa 
tion  did  not  transfer  its  Home  Mission  work  to  this 
Society,  as  it  was  stronger  numerically  than  the  other 
two  combined  and  had  but  little  mission  ground. 
However,  the  Union  of  the  Central  and  Eastern 
Associations  gave  impetus  to  the  work.  By  1859  the 
expenditure  had  risen  from  $807  to  $2,272.  Twenty- 
one  missionaries  were  employed,  aggregating  five 
years  and  forty-one  weeks  of  labor,  and  215  were 
baptized.  The  enthusiasm  of  this  splendid  beginning 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  57 

seems  to  have  been  maintained,  and  great  progress 
resulted,  but  it  is  impossible  within  the  limits  of  our 
space  to  give  more  than  the  above  typical  example. 

(2)  The  Western  Association.  The  record  of  the 
passing  years  is  exceedingly  interesting  reading.  The 
French  Mission  was  richly  blessed,  and  in  1870  "  The 
Acadian  French  Mission  Church  "  was  organized  and 
admitted  to  the  Association.  In  1858,  Rev.  Obed 
Chute  had  retired  in  consequence  of  ill  health.  Mr. 
M.  Normonday  succeeded  him.  The  English  work 
was  continued  as  before  by  appointing  pastors  to  short 
missions  at  different  places.  A  church  of  33  members 
was  organized  in  1870.  The  report  of  1872  will  illus 
trate  the  character  of  the  annual  reports.  It  reads : 
"Weeks  of  labor,  58;  sermons,  189;  prayer  and  con 
ference  meetings,  84;  families  visited,  402;  baptized, 
8;  collected  by  missionaries,  $104.82."  This  mission 
has  since  been  transferred  to  the  Grande  Ligne  Mission 
Board,  who  have,  at  present,  as  laborer  on  the  field, 
Bro.  G.  H.  Roberts. 

4.  THE  NOVA  SCOTIA  HOME  MISSIONARY  UNION — 
1872-1879. 

The  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Home  Missionary  Union 
was  organized  at  Berwick,  June  2ist,  1872.  It  com 
bined  the  work  of  all  three  associations.  The  object 
of  the  Union  was  declared  to  be  the  spread  of  the 
gospel  throughout  Nova  Scotia,  the  fostering  of  feeble 
churches,  the  planting  of  new  ones,  and  the  dissemina 
tion  of  denominational  literature.  The  Board  of  the 
Home  Missionary  Union,  located  at  Yarmouth,  with 
Rev.  G.  E.  Day,  M.D.,  as  Secretary,  entered  upon  the 


58          THE   BAPTISTS   OF  CANADA 

work  with  great  enthusiasm  and  created  a  new  interest 
in  Home  Missions.  The  income  more  than  doubled. 
Work  was  begun  at  important  points,  such  as  Anna 
polis  Royal  and  New  Glasgow,  and  weak  interests 
were  arranged  into  convenient  groups  and  provided 
with  pastoral  care  as  far  as  the  supply  of  men  would 
permit.  Rev.  Isaiah  Wallace,  who  possessed  rare  gifts 
for  the  work,  was  appointed  General  Missionary,  or 
Evangelist.  He  was  succeeded  in  1875  by  Rev.  D. 
Freeman,  A.M.  He  was  to  make  the  collecting  of 
funds  a  part  of  his  duty.  In  1874,  Prince  Edward 
Island  transferred  its  Home  Mission  Department  to 
the  Union.  By  1878  the  receipts  had  risen  to  $4,607.49. 
A  summary  of  the  seven  years'  work  of  the  Union 
shows  that  more  than  1,400  had  been  baptized  by  the 
laborers  employed  by  the  Board.  In  1879  the  Board 
of  the  Union  transferred  its  work  to  the  Convention 
Board.  There  were  then  in  Nova  Scotia  and  Prince 
Edward  Island  24,774  members  gathered  in  197 
churches. 

5.  THE  CONVENTION   BOARD. 

As  we  learned  in  the  previous  chapter,  the  Home 
Mission  work  in  all  the  Provinces  came  under  the 
control  of  a  Board  appointed  by  the  Maritime  Con 
vention  in  1879.  During  the  succeeding  fifteen  years, 
22  churches  were  organized  in  Nova  Scotia,  3,939 
were  baptized  and  1,169  received  by  letter,  through 
the  labors  of  those  supported  in  whole  or  in  part  by 
the  Convention  Board.  When  the  Home  Mission  work 
in  New  Brunswick  reverted  to  Provincial  control,  in 
1894,  the  work  in  Nova  Scotia  and  Prince  Edward 
Island  continued  under  the  direction  of  the  Convention 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  59 

Board.    Rev.  Atwood  Cohoon  continued  his  labors  as 
corresponding  secretary  until  1901,  the  work  making 
steady  progress.     In  1899,  when  the  Board  had  been 
hampered  for  some  years  with  a  debt  which  it  seemed 
to  be  impossible  to  reduce  without  serious  retrench 
ment  in  the  work,  the  munificent  gift  of  $3,000  from 
J.  W.  Barss  saved  the  cause  from  disaster.    Again,  in 
1905,  a  legacy  from  the  late  Mrs.  Allison  Smith  of 
$3,000   enabled   the   Board   to   pursue   an   aggressive 
policy.    Many  legacies  of  smaller  amounts  have  come 
to  the  Board  and  have  been  of  exceeding  value  to  the 
cause.     After  Rev.  A.  Cohoon  had  retired  from  the 
work,  Rev.  W.  F.  Parker   (for  one  year)   and  Rev. 
E.  J.  Grant  (for  three  years)  acted  as  corresponding 
secretaries  to  the  Board  in  connection  with  their  pas 
toral  labors.     During  this  time,  Rev.  M.  W.  Brown 
filled  the  position  of   Home  Mission   Superintendent 
acceptably  for  two  years.    At  the  Convention  in  Char- 
lottetown,  in  1905,  it  was  moved  by  Rev.  A.  Cohoon, 
D.D.,  and  seconded  by  Rev.  J.   C.   Spurr,  that  the 
following  be  appended  to  the  Home  Mission  report: 
"We  recommend  (i)  The  appointment  of  a  man  to 
act  as  Secretary  and  Superintendent  of  Home  Missions 
and  Field  Secretary  of  Denominational  funds  in  Nova 
Scotia  and  P.  E.  Island;  (2)  That  the  selection  of  the 
man  for  the  place  be  left  with  the  Finance  Committees 
of  Nova  Scotia  and  P.  E.  Island  and  a  committee  of 
the   Home   Mission   Board."      The   appointment    fell 
upon  Rev.  I.  W.  Porter,  then  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Bear  River,  N.S.    He  has  been  attending  to  the  duties 
of   these    several   offices    for   more   than   five   years. 
During  this  time  the  denominational  funds  for  Nova 
Scotia  and  P.  E.  Island  have  much  more  than  doubled, 


60          THE   BAPTISTS   OE   CANADA 

and  the  Home  Mission  work  has  been  maintained  in 
a  healthy  condition.  The  report  of  the  Home  Mission 
Board  for  1910  shows  69  pastorates  assisted,  including 
131  churches;  370  baptized  and  82  added  by  letter;  a 
total  expenditure  of  about  $10,000;  five  pastorates 
become  self-supporting,  with  three  new  applicants  for 
assistance ;  45  home  missionaries,  30  students,  and  two 
general  missionaries  employed,  giving  a  total  of  2,807 
weeks  of  labor;  five  parsonages  and  three  meeting 
houses  completed,  and  others  under  construction. 

The  1910  report  gives  for  Nova  Scotia  254  churches, 
125  pastors,  33,640  members,  1,188  baptisms;  and  for 
Prince  Edward  Island,  27  churches,  9  pastors,  2,100 
members,  27  baptisms. 

6.  OUTSTANDING  MEN. 

As  the  years  have  passed  many  men  of  mark  have 
served  in  the  ranks  of  the  Baptist  ministry  in  Nova 
Scotia  and  P.  E.  Island.  It  is  difficult  to  name  any 
and  not  name  very  many.  As  a  traveller  passes 
through  the  land  from  place  to  place  he  finds  the 
treasured  memory  of  some  hero  of  the  faith  who  has 
contributed  largely  to  the  growth  of  the  Baptist  cause 
and  of  the  Kingdom  of  Righteousness.  A  brief  sketch 
of  a  few  of  the  most  prominent  must  suffice.  Some 
who  were  particularly  identified  with  the  period  pre 
ceding  1821  are  sketched  at  the  close  of  the  preceding 
chapter. 

Rev.  Henry  Achilles  had  a  long  and  useful  service, 
dying  in  1899,  aged  83  years.  He  was  strong  intellec 
tually  and  in  the  Lord  and  was  highly  esteemed. 

Rev.  George  Armstrong,  D.D.  (1815-1886),  was 
pastor  at  Port  Medway,  Chester,  Bridgetown,  Port 


LEADERS  IN  NOVA  SCOTIA. 


REV.  A.  B.  COHOON. 
MR.  IRA  M.  BAIRD. 


MR.  H.  G.  TKLPORD. 
MR.  G.  F.  ALLEN. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  61 

Hawkesbury  and  Kentville.  For  a  time  he  was  the 
proprietor  and  editor  of  the  Christian  Visitor.  He 
was  true,  genial,  kind  and  friendly. 

Rev.  J.  F.  Avery  (  -1893)  was  a  zealous  and 
successful  minister,  especially  in  missions. 

Rev.  Samuel  Bancroft  (1789-1876)  spent  seventy 
years  in  the  ministry.  He  was  an  able  preacher. 

John  W.  Barss  (1812-1902).  A  successful  business 
man;  was  a  liberal  supporter  of  all  worthy  objects  and 
active  in  every  good  work.  His  large  benefactions 
to  Publication,  Education  and  Missions  were  accom 
panied  by  the  gift  of  his  own  time,  energy  and  ability. 

Rev.  A.  W.  Barss  (1824-1892)  iled  large  numbers 
to  Christ;  was  fearless,  fervent,  tender  and  helpful. 

Rev.  I.  E.  Bill,  D.D.  (1805-1891),  rendered  so  many 
services  to  the  denomination,  both  in  Nova  Scotia  and 
New  Brunswick,  that  it  is  difficult  to  decide  what  to 
mention.  As  a  pastor  he  was  a  most  earnest  soul- 
seeker  ;  in  temperance  he  was  a  leading  spirit ;  of 
education  he  was  a  firm  and  wise  friend.  He  was 
editor  of  the  Christian  Visitor.  He  published  "  Fifty 
Years  with  the  Baptists,"  a  comprehensive  history  of 
the  Maritime  Baptists  to  1880.  He  was  an  extra 
ordinary  man  and  minister,  loved  and  beloved. 

Rev.  Richard  Burpee,  died  1853,  ls  remembered 
as  the  first  foreign  missionary  from  Canada. 

Rev.  John  Chase  (1804-1879)  who  exerted  a  wide 
and  wholesome  influence  in  the  denomination,  was  a 
man  of  rare  endowments. 

Rev.  Atzvoo'd  Cohoon,  D.D.,  is  well  known  as  a  man 
of  great  executive  ability  and  wonderful  industry. 
Under  his  care  the  Home  Mission  work  was  thor 
oughly  organized.  In  1895  he  became  Treasurer  of 


62  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Acadia  University,  and  since  1901  has  devoted  himself 
almost  solely  to  its  interests. 

Professor  Isaac  L.  Chipman,  M.A.  (1817-1851),  was 
a  faithful  servant  of  Acadia  College  from  1839  until 
his  death. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Cramp,  D.D.  (1796-1881),  came  from 
the  Baptist  College  at  Montreal  to  Acadia  in  the  crisis 
of  1850.  To  his  wise  administration  and  enthusiastic 
leadership  are  due  very  largely  the  safe  weathering  of 
that  time  of  trial.  He  was  a  voluminous  writer  and 
an  enthusiastic  laborer  in  the  temperance  cause  and  in 
Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

Rev.  Arthur  R.  R.  Crawley,  M.A.  (1831-1876),  was 
an  earnest  and  successful  missionary  in  India. 

Rev.  Edmund  Albern  Crawley,  D.D.,  D.C.L.  (1799- 
1888),  spent  thirty-three  years  as  Professor  in  Acadia 
and  thirteen  years  in  the  pastorate.  He  was  a  man  of 
exceptional  gifts  and  of  sterling  character. 

Rev.  Stephen  De  Blois,  D.D.  (1827-1884),  was  pas 
tor  of  the  Wolfville  Church  for  twenty-nine  years. 
He  was  a  brother  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him; 
scholarly,  highly  esteemed  and  devoted  to  all  the 
interests  of  religion. 

Rev.  George  Dimock  (1777-1865),  pastor  at  New 
port  for  forty  years,  was  a  most  faithful  minister  of 
the  Gospel  and  an  earnest  evangelist. 

Rev.  David  Freeman,  M.A.  (1820-1891),  was  one 
of  God's  choice  spirits.  He  was  unselfish,  self-sacri 
ficing  and  highly  honored  and  beloved. 

Hon.  J.  W.  Johnston  (1792-1873),  a  successful  law 
yer  and  statesman,  a  judge  in  equity  and  a  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  Nova  Scotia,  was  the  stalwart  supporter 
pf  the  Baptist  Education  scheme. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  63 

Rev.  Samuel  McLeod  (  -1881)  is  a  name  greatly 
honored  in  Prince  Edward  Island.  He  came  from 
Scotland  in  1829,  taught  school  for  seven  years  and 
was  ordained  in  1840.  He  was  honored,  loved  and 
revered  by  all  who  came  within  the  range  of  his 
influence. 

/.  W.  Nutting,  LL.D.  (1788-1870)  was  secretary  of 
the  Education  Society  and  editor  of  the  Christian 
Messenger.  His  influence  upon  the  denomination  was 
both  deep  and  lasting. 

Rev.  James  Parker  (1812-1875)  was  an  eloquent 
preacher  and  a  devoted  minister,  greatly  esteemed  in 
life  and  honored  in  death. 

Rev.  Obed  Parker  (1803-1890)  was  another  minister 
who,  because  of  his  simple  faithfulness  and  devotion 
to  his  ministry,  deserves  to  be  held  in  honored  memory. 

Rev.  Willard  G.  Parker  (1816-1878),  another  hero 
of  the  Cross,  is  honored  throughout  Nova  Scotia. 

Rev.  John  Pryor,  D.D.  (1805-1892),  became  prin 
cipal  of  Horton  Academy  in  1838  and  was  the  first 
president  of  Acadia.  His  life  as  pastor  and  teacher 
was  greatly  blessed  to  the  salvation  of  souls  and  in 
the  moulding  of  character. 

Rev.  Silas  Tcrtius  Rand,  D.D.,  D.C.L.,  LL.D.  (1810- 
1889),  had  a  remarkable  aptitude  for  languages.  He 
was  an  earnest  soul-seeker  and  the  first  missionary  to 
the  Mic-Mac  Indians. 

Rev.  Edward  M.  Saunders,  D.D.,  the  author  of 
"  History  of  the  Baptists  of  the  Maritime  Provinces," 
is  honored  both  as  preacher  and  author.  His  daughter, 
Marshall  Saunders,  is  the  talented  writer  of  "  Beauti 
ful  Joe  "  and  many  other  charming  tales. 


64          THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Rev.  A.  W.  Sawyer,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  was  president  of 
Acadia  from  1869  to  1896.  He  is  held  in  high  honor 
for  his  Christian  character,  his  wise  statesmanship 
and  his  ability  as  teacher. 

Rev.  Chas.  Tupper,  D.D.  (1794-1881),  father  of  Sir 
Chas.  Tupper,  is  another  whose  life  is  so  interwoven 
with  the  history  of  the  Maritime  Baptists  that  it  is 
difficult  to  know  what  of  the  many  services  he 
rendered  to  record.  As  preacher,  pastor,  teacher,  stu 
dent,  writer,  he  was  successful.  He  was  editor  of 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  principal  of  Fred- 
ericton  Seminary  for  one  year,  secretary  of  the  Foreign 
Mission  Board  for  fifteen  years,  yet  at  all  times  a  most 
successful  pastor. 

Rev.  Thomas  Trotter,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Homiletics 
in  McMaster  University,  is  another  ex-principal  of 
Acadia.  During  his  administration  an  endowment 
fund  of  $275,000  was  raised.  John  D.  Rockefeller 
contributed  $115,000. 

Rev.  Isaiah  Wallace,  M.A.  (1826-1907),  was  a  most 
earnest  Home  Mission  evangelist.  In  his  long  minis 
try  he  baptized  more  than  3,000  converts. 

Many  others  there  are  who  are  most  worthy  of  our 
grateful  remembrance.  Of  those  who  have  labored 
as  Home  Mission  evangelists  we  might  mention  Revs. 
J.  A.  Marple,  A.  F.  Baker,  C.  W.  Walden,  Lew  F. 
Wallace,  W.  A.  Robins  and  A.  J.  McLeod,  the  last 
two  being  at  present  under  appointment.  To  the 
many  still  unmentioned,  such  as  Revs.  Samuel 
Richardson,  Wm.  Burton,  J.  A.  Stubbert,  John  Davis, 
•Malcolm  Ross,  Stephen  March,  A.  S.  Hunt,  W.  C. 
Rideout,  G.  E.  Day,  T.  H.  Porter  and  E.  N.  Archibald, 
we  make  our  apology,  but  we  hold  in  grateful  remem 
brance  their  lives  and  deeds, 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  65 

7.  SPECIAL  WORK. 

(1)  Among  the  Colored  People.     There  are  in  the 
Province  of  Nova  Scotia  about  7,000  colored  people. 
About  ninety  per  cent,  of  these  registered  at  the  last 
census  as  Baptists.     Baptist  work  among  these  people 
began  at  an  early  date.     At  the  close  of  the  War  of 
the  American  Revolution,  David  George,  with  many 
other  people  of  color  and  a  large  number  of  white 
people,  came  from  the  Southern  States  and  settled  at 
Shelburne.     David  George  was  born  a  slave,  about 
1742.    He  was  converted  in  his  old  home,  and  at  once 
began  to  exhort  and  preach.     His  zeal  and  abilities  were 
acknowledged  and  his  labors  blessed.     He  gained  his 
freedom  and  afterwards  became  still  more  useful  as 
a  preacher.    In  Shelburne  he  organized  a  little  church. 
Opposition  developed  because  he  was  a  Baptist  and 
his  meeting  house  was  overturned  with  ropes.    But  he 
persevered.     For  a  time  he  preached  in  New  Bruns 
wick,  having  received  a  license  from  the  Governor. 
He  also  preached  at  Preston  and  baptized  a  few  con 
verts  there.    He  finally  went  with  a  colony  of  his  own 
people  to  Sierra  Leone,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days.    There  are  at  present  25  colored  Baptist 
churches  in  Nova  Scotia,  with  a  membership  of  969. 
Eighteen   of   these   churches   are   organized   into  the 
African  Baptist  Association,  which  meets  annually  and 
publishes  a  neat  pamphlet  of  minutes.    .The  Maritime 
Convention     (1910)     recommended    all    the    colored 
churches   to   affiliate   with   this  Association,   as   it   is 
believed  that  the  body   thus   strengthened   would  be 
able  to  do  much  more  for  the  colored  population.    Five 
pastors  were  at  work  for  the   full  year,  and  three 

5 


66  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

students  and  several  other  licentiates  did  some  work. 
The  Home  Mission  Board  in  1910  spent  about  $2,000 
upon  the  colored  work.  Fifty-eight  were  added  to 
the  churches  by  baptism. 

(2)  Church  Edifice   Department.       In    order    to 
assist  weak  churches  and  to  facilitate  new  churches  in 
securing  houses  of  worship  and  parsonages,  the  Home 
Mission  Board  maintains  a  Church  Edifice  Depart 
ment.      The   capital    was    largely   derived    from   the 
Twentieth  Century  Fund,  of  which  Rev.  H.  F.  Adams 
was  the  successful   representative.     During  the  last 
ten  years   the   operations   of    this    department   have 
amounted  to  about  $8,000.    The  loans  are  frequently 
repaid  and  used  again  for  the  same  purpose.     This 
is  a  most  helpful  branch  of  Home  Mission  work  and 
deserves  a  much  greater  development. 

(3)  Prince  Edward  Island.       The     first     Baptist 
preacher  to  visit    Prince    Edward    Island  was  Rev. 
Alexander  Crawford,  a  native  of  Argyleshire,  Scot 
land.    In  1814  he  moved  to  Prince  Edward  Island  and 
began  preaching  with  marked  tokens  of  divine  favor. 
Baptist  ministers  from  Nova  Scotia  and  New  Bruns 
wick,  under  appointment  of  the  Missionary  Boards, 
visited  the  island  from  time  to  time.    Among  the  earli 
est  of  these  may  be  mentioned  Rev.  Chas.   Tupper 
(1825),  Rev.  Joseph  Crandall   (1726),    Rev.    T.    S. 
Harding  and  Rev.  C.  Tupper  (1827),  Rev.  S.  McCully 
(1830),  Rev.  Jas.  Stevens,  Rev.  E.  Manning  and  Rev. 
T.  S.  Harding  (1831),  Rev.  Wm.  Chipman  and  I.  E. 
Bill   (1833).     RCV-  Alexander  Crawford  had  formed 
several  Scotch  Baptist  churches.     A  Conference  was 
held  in   1833  to  consider  the  advisability  of  uniting 
with  the  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Association.     The  only 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  67 

difference  in  belief  seemed  to  be  that  the  Prince  Ed 
ward  Island  Baptists  would  not  permit  a  believer  to 
marry  an  unbeliever,  but  union  was  not  then  effected. 
The  church  at  Tyron  and  Bedeque  had,  however, 
entered  the  Nova  Scotia  Association  in  1829.  Others 
followed  from  time  to  time"  until  when,  in  1851,  the 
Nova  Scotia  Association  was  divided  and  Prince 
Edward  Island  was  included  in  the  Eastern,  all  the 
churches  were  in  fellowship.  There  were  then  eight 
churches  with  463  members.  A  Board  of  Missions, 
organized  on  the  island  in  1845  (or  '46),  rendered 
splendid  service  during  -these  years.  By  1868,  the 
members  of  the  churches  had  only  increased  to  627. 
It  was  felt  that  better  progress  would  be  made  if  an 
Association  were  formed  of  the  churches  of  the  Island. 
Accordingly  the  Prince  Edward  Island  Association  was 
organized.  The  Home  Mission  work  continued  in 
charge  of  the  Prince  Edward  Island  Baptist  Home 
Missionary  Society  until  1874,  when  it  was  handed 
over  to  the  Nova  Scotia  Baptist  Home  Missionary 
Union.  A  Woman's  Missionary  Aid  Society,  organ 
ized  at  Summerside  in  1873,  rendered  valuable  aid  to 
the  cause  of  Home  Missions  during  this  period.  The 
total  membership  reported  in  1874  was  942  and  the 
amount  expended  in  Home  Mission  work  $284.63.  As 
the  history  of  Prince  Edward  Island  Baptists  from  the 
Home  Mission  standpoint  is  merged  with  that  of  the 
other  Maritime  Provinces  from  1874,  it  may  be  said 
here  that  Canadian  Baptists  have  every  reason  to  be 
proud  of  their  brethren  in  the  Island  Province.  They 
have  always  been  faithful  to  the  truth,  earnest  in  its 
proclamation  and  zealous  in  every  work  that  tends  to 
bring  glory  to  God  and  to  extend  His  Kingdom. 


68  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

(B)  Free  Baptists. 
i.  RISE. 

(1)  Beginning.       To  state  the  origin  of  the  Free 
Baptists  of  Nova  Scotia  with  certainty  is  now  impos 
sible.    They  do  not  appear,  however,  to  have  originated 
from  the  United  States  body  of  that  name.     It  would 
seem  rather  that  a  similarity  of  convictions  in  respect 
to  Bible  truth  led  believers  to  congregate  together  for 
worship  and  fellowship.     With  the  coming  of  Henry 
Alline,  in  1775,  many  were  added  to  their  fellowship, 
as  his  teaching  and  methods  were  closely  akin  to  their 
thought  and  spirit.     Free  Baptist  preachers  from  the1 
United  States  came  among  them  and  gave  unity  to 
their  belief  and  practice.     Their  fellowship  with  the 
Baptists  and  Methodists  was  quite  cordial,  but  they 
differed    from    the    former    in    holding    strongly    to 
Arminian  views  and  to  open  communion.     In  course 
of  time  the  gatherings  for  worship  and  fellowship  took 
to  themselves  a  simple  organization  with  a  covenant 
of  their  own  making.    The  Barrington  Church,  organ 
ized  prior  to  1795,  seems  to  have  been  the  progenitor. 
"  Sherow's  Island  "  was  another  early  church.    Elder 
Thomas  Crow  ell,  though  not  ordained  until  1827,  was 
the  leader  of  the  early  forces. 

(2)  The  Cleavage  Between  the  Regular  and  Free 
Baptists  was   accentuated   by   the    formation   of  the 
Baptist  Association  in   1800   and  by  the  coming  of 
Elder  Asa  McGray  in  1817  and  Elder  Jacob  Norton 
a  year  later.     The  former  drew  closer  together  the 
immersionists,  but  separated  them  into  two  bands  by 
its  adoption   of  close  communion.     The  latter  gave 
added  strength  and  zeal  and  more  definite  expression 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  69 

to  the  work  of  the  early  congregation.  Elder  McGray 
organized  a  church  on  Sable  Island  in  1821  and  made 
many  converts  in  other  districts.  He  was  an  ordained 
Free  Will  Baptist  preacher.  Elder  Norton  called  him 
self  a  "  Christian."  He  was  instrumental  in  organizing 
a  church  in  Argyle  in  1819.  His  fifty  years  of  faithful, 
earnest  service  did  much  to  establish  the  Free  Baptist 
cause  in  Nova  Scotia.  Other  pioneers  were  Edward 
Reynolds,  James  Melvin  and  Charles  Knowles.  The 
second  named,  with  his  church,  afterwards  joined  the 
Congregationalists.  Elder  Knowles,  however,  re 
mained  true  to  the  Free  Baptist  cause  and  was  very 
successful  in  planting  and  nourishing  Free  Baptist 
interests. 

2.  ORGANIZATION. 

(1)  The  Free  Christian  Baptist  Conference,  1837- 
1866.  In  1821  the  Barrington  Church  took  the  name 
Free  Baptist.  Others  doubtless  did  the  same,  for  in 
1834  a  Free  Will  Baptist  Conference  was  formed  of 
it  and  neighboring  churches.  Two  years  later,  Elders 
McGray,  Crowell,  Norton,  Reynolds  and  Knowles, 
representing  both  Christian  and  Free  Baptist  interests, 
agreed  upon  a  basis  of  union  to  be  submitted  to  the 
churches.  As  a  result,  the  "  Free  Christian  Baptist 
Conference  "  was  organized  June  i/th,  1837,  at  Cape 
Sable  Island.  The  name  was  an  expression  of  their 
doctrinal  belief.  The  body  met  in  quarterly  meetings, 
the  fourth  being  the  yearly  meeting.  A  secession  of 
Free  Will  Baptists,  under  Elder  McGray,  took  place 
two  years  later.  In  spite  of  many  handicaps,  the  cause 
progressed.  Union  with  the  New  Brunswick  Free 
Baptists  was  attempted,  and  while  it  was  not  found 


7o  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

workable  the  Religious  Intelligencer,  the  denomina 
tional  paper  in  New  Brunswick,  was  made  a  common 
organ.  In  common  they  honored  the  education  of  the 
ministry,  entered  with  great  zest  into  Sunday  School 
work,  strongly  opposed  the  liquor  traffic  and  main 
tained  discipline  in  the  ranks.  The  first  authentic 
record  of  membership  is  of  1^43,  which  shows  13 
churches  with  1,066  members.  In  1860  there  were 
21  churches,  16  Sunday  Schools,  n  ordained  ministers, 
2  licentiates,  and  1,900  members. 

(2)  The  Seceding  Free  Will  Baptists,  aided  by 
Elders  K.  R.  Davis,  I.  G.  Davis,  M.  Atwood,  M.  An 
derson  (from  the  United  States)  and  others,  made 
some  considerable  progress.  Beaver  River  Church 
and  others  were  formed.  In  1843  a  quarterly  meeting 
was  organized  in  connection  with  the  Maine  Central 
yearly  meeting.  No  statistics  are  available  as  to  their 
standing  in  1866. 

3.  THE:  FREE  BAPTIST  CONFERENCE. 

(1)  Formation.    The  Free  Christians  and  the  Free 
Will  Baptists  were  practically  one  in  both  practice  and 
belief.    Hence,  in  1866,  under  the  leadership  of  T.  H. 
Crowell,  W.  Downey,  Asa  McGray,  E.  Sullivan,  D. 
Oram,  J.  Trefry,  J.  F.  Smith,  E.  J.  Eaton  and  J.  I. 
Porter,  they  were  able  to  unite  as  "  The  Free  Baptist 
Conference  of  Nova  Scotia."     The  two  last  named 
were  appointed  Moderator  and  Clerk.     Seven  Free 
Will  and  twenty-seven  Free  Christian  churches  were 
included  in  the  Union. 

(2)  Progress  Under.       Much  attention  was  given 
the  next  few  years  to  organizing  education,  foreign 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  71 

and  home  mission  societies,  Rev.  T.  H.  Crowell  being 
a  leader  in  this  work.  In  1869,  Julia,  the  daughter  of 
Rev.  Jeremiah  Phillips,  Free  Will  Baptist  missionary 
in  India,  became  the  missionary  of  the  Nova  Scotia 
Free  Baptists.  The  work,  connected  with  the  United 
States  Free  Baptists,  was  carried  on  at  Midnapore 
and  adjacent  districts,  near  Calcutta.  Incorporation  of 
the  Conference  was  obtained  in  1870.  A  Sunday 
School  Convention  was  organized  in  1873,  an^  m  ^78 
an  Elders'  Conference.  Ministerial  education  was 
fostered  from  the  time  of  the  union  by  grants  through 
the  Educational  Society  to  students.  In  1879,  tne 
Newfield  Church  withdrew  from  the  denomination  and 
became  a  part  of  the  body  known  as  "  The  Free  Bap 
tists  of  Maine,  New  Brunswick,  and  Nova  Scotia," 
subsequently  incorporated  in  New  Brunswick  as 
"  Primitive  Baptists."  Churches  were  formed  at 
Tusket  Lakes,  Reynardton  and  East  River.  Baptist 
union  was  discussed  in  1886  but  not  entered  into.  The 
"  Holiness,"  i.e  "  entire  instantaneous  sanctification  " 
doctrine  led  to  the  expulsion  of  Rev.  Aaron  Kinney  in 
the  same  year.  He  and  a  number  of  others  organized 
the  Reformed  Baptist  denomination.  Yet,  in  the 
main,  the  people  were  true  to  the  old  doctrines  and 
steady  advance  was  made.  Quarterly  meetings  were 
abolished  in  1889  an^  direct  representation  given  to 
the  churches.  About  the  same  time  the  Executive  of 
the  Conference  was  entrusted  between  sessions  with 
denominational  affairs.  A  Young  People's  Union  was 
organized  in  connection  with  the  Conference  in  1893. 
The  Conference  entered  into  membership  with  the 
"  General  Conference  of  Free  Baptists  "  in  the  United 
States  in  1901.  The  Free  Baptist  Banner  was  begun 


72  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

in  the  same  year.  The  reports  of  that  year  showed 
3,500  members  in  the  churches  and  2,300  in  the  Sun 
day  Schools. 

(3)  Leaders.  In  tracing  the  history  of  the  Free 
Baptists,  the  names  of  the  leaders  have  been  so  inter 
woven  that  further  mention  is  deemed  unnecessary  in 
view  of  the  limitations  of  space. 

4.  UNION  WITH  REGULAR  BAPTISTS. 

In  1904  the  Free  Baptists  of  New  Brunswick  and 
the  Regular  Baptists  became  one  body,  adopting  the 
name  of  "United  Baptists."  The  doctrinal  statement, 
known  as  the  Basis  of  Union,  had  been  approved  by 
the  Baptist  Convention  of  the  Maritime  Provinces 
in  1887.  With  slight  amendment,  this  statement 
formed  the  common  meeting  ground  for  the  two  bodies 
in  1904.  Two  years  later,  1906,  the  Free  Baptists  of 
Nova  Scotia  united  with  the  United  Baptists,  the 
terms  of  union  being  practically  the  same.  The  con 
summation  of  the  union  was  celebrated  in  Zion  Baptist 
Church,  Yarmouth,  N.S.,  Sept.  3rd,  1906,  at  a  public 
meeting  presided  over  jointly  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Gosline, 
Moderator  of  the  Free  Baptist  Conference  of  Nova 
Scotia,  and  Rev.  I.  W.  Porter,  Superintendent  of 
United  Baptist  Mission  Work.  Rev.  E.  Crowell,  a 
former  Free  Baptist,  was  employed  by  the  Home  Mis 
sion  Board  to  assist  in  rearrangement  of  pastorates  in 
Yarmouth  and  Shelburne,  the  counties  chiefly  affected 
by  the  union.  He  accomplished  this  task  with  tact  and 
prudence,  and  in  consequence  the  union  has  worked 
very  smoothly,  replacing  scattered  with  compact  pas 
torates  and  weak  interests  with  strong  ones.  There 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  73 

has  also  been  an  interchange  of  fraternal  visits  by 
committees  between  the  Maritime  Convention  and  the 
Convention  of  the  "  Disciples  "  for  several  years.  The 
question  of  union  has  been  freely  canvassed;  but  as 
yet  no  substantial  approach  towards  corporate  union 
has  been  made. 


CHAPTER  III. 
NEW  BRUNSWICK. 

New  Brunswick  Baptists  were  divided,  as  the  Nova 
Scotia  Baptists  were,  into  two  camps — the  Regular 
and  the  Free  Baptists.  Doubtless  in  the  beginning  the 
division  was  not  noticeable,  as  with  holy  zeal  the 
early  fathers  travelled  through  forest  and  swamp, 
by  river  and  ocean,  on  horseback,  afoot  or  by  small 
boat,  often  at  their  own  expense,  to  carry  the  tidings 
of  the  gospel  to  all  parts  of  their  Samaria.  But  fidelity 
to  truth,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  sketch  of  the  Free 
Baptists,  led  to  the  formation  of  the  Free  Baptist 
Conference.  In  our  sketch  we  shall  begin  with  the 
Regular  Baptists,  who  held  the  views  of  the  Baptists 
of  to-day  except  that  they  under-emphasized  the  doc 
trine  of  man's  free  moral  agency  in  their  insistence 
upon  the  sovereignty  of  God. 

(A)   The  Regular  Baptists. 

Nine  decades  have  passed  into  history  since  there 
were  dismissed  in  1821  from  the  Baptist  Association 
of  Nova  Scotia  13  churches,  with  a  membership  of 
506,  under  the  pastoral  oversight  of  6  ministers.  The 
ministers  were  Richard  Scott,  Joseph  Crandall,  L. 
Hammond,  T.  S.  Harding,  Francis  Pickle,  and  Nathan 
Cleveland.  Their  names  should  be  enshrined  in  the 

74 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  75 

hearts  of  every  true  Baptist,  for  to  their  heroism,  zeal 
and  faith  we  owe  the  splendid  foundation  upon  which 
has  been  reared  the  noble  structure  of  New  Bruns 
wick  Baptists. 

i.  DENOMINATIONAL  PROGRESS. 

(1)  The  First  Decade  (1821-1831).  At  the  organi 
zation  of  the  Association  at  Fredericton  in  1822, 
it  resolved  itself  into  a  Home  Missionary  Society. 
Under  the  leadership  of  Joseph  Crandall  the  fathers 
went  everywhere,  by  appointment  or  without  appoint 
ment,  as  they  believed  themselves  led  by  the  Spirit, 
preaching  the  unsearchable  riches  of  salvation  in 
Christ.  The  missionary  work  was  under  the  direction 
of  a  Board,  but,  with  some  exceptions,  it  is  difficult 
now  to  tell  to  what  extent  and  in  what  instances  it 
exercised  supervision. 

Difficulties.  In  looking  iback  to-day  over  the  first 
missionary  efforts  we  can  hardly  refrain  from  express 
ing  our  amazement  at  the  faith  of  the  early  pioneers, 
and  our  admiration  of  their  enthusiasm  and  spiritual 
zeal.  Districts  and  settlements,  where  nothing  invited 
them  but  the  lost  souls  of  men,  were  freely  traversed, 
and  in  many  of  them  God  owned  His  truth  with 
wondrous  and  saving  power.  Nor  is  it  to  be  supposed 
that  the  results  of  those  days  came  without  effort. 
Difficulties,  great  and  apparently  insuperable,  con 
stantly  appeared  in  the  way,  and  often  the  most 
pronounced  hostility  was  aroused.  Adverse  senti 
ments  abounded  on  every  hand  and  from  the  earliest 
period  the  chief  places  of  emolument  and  of  public 
influence  were  closely  held  by  others.  Paedo-Baptists 


76  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

enjoyed  the  comfortable  aid  of  glebe  lands,  Madras 
school  foundations  and  general  government  patron 
age.  The  educational  institutions,  from  the  College 
at  Fredericton  with  its  tests,  down  to  the  Grammar 
and  Common  schools,  were  almost  invariably  managed 
by  them.  Political  prejudices  fettered  the  advance  of 
Baptists  at  every  step.  The  country,  too,  was  new, 
and  everything  largely  an  experiment.  Against  them 
also  was  the  fact  that  scarcely  any  of  the  original 
settlers  of  the  province,  with  the  exception  of  the 
colony  from  Swansea,  Mass.,  had  come  here  as 
Baptists,  or  sympathized  in  any  way  with  our  views. 
Generally  speaking,  Episcopalians  and  Presbyterians, 
with  here  and  there  a  few  Methodists,  held  the  lead 
in  all  the  Protestant  communities,  and  for  long  our 
progress  was  slow  and  recognition  doubtful.  Men  yet 
living  can  remember  when  a  Baptist  minister  was 
not  allowed  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony,  even 
among  his  own  people. 

Triumphs.  Yet  the  word  of  God  grew  and  multi 
plied,  and  believers  by  hundreds  began  to  be  added 
to  the  churches.  Preachers  rang  out  the  notes  of 
Calvary  and  the  atonement,  and  as  a  result  victory 
finally  perched  everywhere  on  the  banner  of  the 
cross.  They  were  faithful  to  the  word  and  yearned 
for  the  salvation  of  souls.  They  saw  and  believed 
in  a  Crucified  Christ  and  told  the  story  with  melting 
pathos  and  power.  During  this  decade,  1821-1831, 
considerable  effort  was  made  to  evangelize  the  vari 
ous  sections  of  the  province,  and  the  greater  part  of 
these  settlements  now  held  by  us  were  opened  about 
this  time.  When  as  yet  the  base  of  support  was 
exceedingly  limited,  the  fathers  were  actively  planning 


BUILDERS   IN  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


REV.  S.  ROBINSON.  REV.  J.  NOBLE. 

REV.  A.  B.  MAcDoNALD. 
REV.  E.  WETMAN.  RKV.  J.  H.  HUGHES. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  77 

to  send  out  missionaries,  east,  west,  north  and  south 
to  every  place.  On  the  Miramichi,  they  had  Thomas 
Magee,  James  Tozer  and  David  James ;  down  in  Kent, 
William  Sears  was  at  work ;  in  Queens,  John  Masters, 
Francis  Pickle  and  Benjamin  Coy  tilled  a  somewhat 
better  soil;  Charles  Lewis  labored  in  New  Canaan 
and  Havelock,  on  the  borders  of  Kings;  Nathan 
Cleveland  and  James  Wallace  were  in  Albert ;  Timothy 
Robinson  on  Deer  Island,  Grand  Manan  and  Campo- 
bello,  with  Duncan  Dunbar  and  William  Johnson  in 
other  parts  of  Charlotte;  Lathrop  Hammond  and 
David  James,  with  others,  served  in  York ;  the  venerable 
Elijah  Estabrooks  was  just  completing  his  ministry 
in  Sunbury  and  Queens ;  David  Harris  travelled  much 
between  Sunbury  and  Carleton ;  Gilbert  Spurr,  a  some 
what  eccentric  laborer,  preached  on  the  Tobique,  in 
Victoria ;  Charles  Tupper  and  F.  W.  Miles  were  in  St. 
John;  Joseph  Crandall,  always  a  pastor  at  large, 
itinerated  in  Kent,  Westmoreland  and  Kings — these 
and  others  of  like  spirit  carried  the  torch-light  of  truth 
through  scores  of  settlements,  with  a  rapidity  and 
daring  never  surpassed  in  any  land  since  apostolic 
times.  Grateful  recognition  is  given  to  the  Mission 
ary  Society  of  Massachusetts,  who  sent  Elder  David 
James  as  a  missionary,  to  Elder  William  Johnson,  of 
Maine,  and  others  from  the  border  states.  When 
the  New  Brunswick  Association  met  at  Norton  in 
1830  there  were  reported  some  31  churches,  with  a 
total  membership  of  1,490  and  12  ordained  ministers. 
The  close  of  the  decade  saw  the  Baptist  lines  reach 
ing  to  almost  every  available  point  where  the  English 
language  was  spoken,  and  all  signs  pointed  to  a  more 
rapid  advance  in  the  future,  and  to  a  general  evangelis- 


78  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

tic  movement  which  was  destined  to  be  provincial 
in  character. 

Other  Interests.  Intense  as  was  the  interest  in  home 
evangelism,  the  fathers  were  not  unmindful  of  other 
means  by  which  the  Kingdom  of  God  might  be  ex 
tended.  They  began  in  January,  1827,  the  publication 
of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine  of  Nova  Scotia 
and  New  Brunswick,  which,  it  will  be  remembered, 
received  the  sanction  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Association 
and  continued  for  some  years  to  be  the  common  organ 
of  the  Maritime  Baptists.  The  interest  in  Foreign 
Missions  found  expression  in  the  formation  of  local 
missionary  societies.  In  January,  1829,  the  one  at 
St.  John  sent  $70  to  the  English  Foreign  Missionary 
Society.  Their  participation  in  the  great  temperance 
movement  was  somewhat  later  in  its  beginning  than 
that  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Baptists,  but  by  1831  many 
societies  had  been  formed.  The  value  of  Sunday 
Schools  for  the  growth  of  the  Kingdom  was  recognized 
and  their  organization  encouraged. 

Organisation.  When  the  Association  voted  at  its 
inception  to  consider  itself  a  missionary  society,  a 
committee  of  nineteen  ministers  and  deacons  was 
appointed  with  instructions  to  hold  quarterly  meet 
ings  at  Fredericton.  This  arrangement  continued  until 
1826,  when  a  special  committee  on  mission  concerns 
recommended  a  standing  board  of  nine  members,  three 
to  constitute  a  quorum.  The  new  board  appointed 
Elder  Joseph  Crandall,  Chairman,  and  James  Holman, 
Secretary.  About  1827  the  "  New  Brunswick  Baptist 
Domestic  Missionary  Society"  was  formed,  and, while 
our  information  in  respect  to  it  is  very  vague  it  was 
doubtless  recognized  as  an  agency  of  the  New  Bruns- 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  79 

wick  Baptist  Association.  It  reports  the  disbursement 
of  £63  us.  6d.  for  1828. 

(2)  The  Second  Decade  (1831-1841).  Progress. 
This  decade  was  eventful  because  of  the  advance  steps 
taken  in  the  systematizing  of  the  work  of  the  denomi 
nation.  It  was  also  a  period  of  great  blessing  in  the 
work  of  home  evangelization.  The  home  missionary 
efforts  cannot  be  narrated  in  detail.  Men  still  con 
tinued  to  go  on  missionary  tour  on  their  own  initia 
tive,  but  the  tendency  to  await  appointment  by  the 
Missionary  Board  grew  in  strength.  Year  by  year 
pastors  were  sent  on  short  missions  to  different  places, 
proclaiming  the  gospel  story.  Many  were  received 
by  baptism  and  new  churches  formed  until  at  the 
close  of  the  decade  there  was  a  total  membership 
of  3,480. 

Education.  To  Frederick  W.  Miles  and  W.  B. 
Kinnear,  two  former  Episcopalians,  belongs  much  of 
the  honor  for  the  initiation  and  success  of  the  Baptist 
educational  work  in  New  Brunswick.  It  was  their 
inspiration  and  counsel  that  led  the  New  Brunswick 
Baptists,  in  1833,  with  a  membership  of  1,721,  to 
appoint  a  committee  consisting  of  all  the  Baptist 
ministers  and  thirty-four  laymen  to  consider  the  ques 
tion  of  an  educational  institution.  A  sub-committee, 
consisting  of  Rev.  F.  W.  Miles,  W.  B.  Kinnear,  John 
M.  Wilmot,  Rev.  Joseph  Crandall,  Rev.  John  Marsters, 
Rev.  Samuel  Robinson  and  William  Needham,  was 
appointed  to  prepare  the  prospectus.  The  following 
year  it  was  decided  to  locate  the  seminary  at  Frederic- 
ton.  Work  was  begun,  and  the  building  completed  in 
1855,  at  a  cost  of  $9,504.  It  was  opened  January  4, 
1836,  with  departments  both  for  young  men  and  for 


8o  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

young  women.  Rev.  F.  W.  Miles,  and  Mrs.  Miles 
were  appointed  the  respective  principals  of  the  male 
and  female  departments.  No  religious  restrictions  have 
ever  been  imposed  upon  entrance.  For  five  years 
in  succession  the  Legislative  Council  rejected  the  vote 
of  the  House  of  Assembly  to  grant  a  subsidy  to  the 
Seminary.  At  this  time  King's  College,  at  Frederic- 
ton,  a  school  exclusively  for  Episcopalians,  was  receiv 
ing  $8,800  annually  from  the  provincial  revenues.  It 
also  sustained  a  theological  chair  exclusively  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  number  of 
students  of  all  denominations  in  attendance  was  most 
gratifying  from  the  very  first.  Failing  to  have  the 
grant  passed  by  the  Legislative  Council,  Rev.  F.  W. 
Miles  was  sent  in  1839  to  England  on  an  agency  in 
behalf  of  the  institution,  and  Rev.  Chas.  Tupper  was 
appointed  acting  principal.  In  the  same  year  the 
government  was  petitioned  to  make  a  just  distribution 
of  public  moneys  among  all  denominations  for  educa 
tional  purposes.  In  response  to  this  appeal  a  grant  of 
$2,000  was  made  by  both  branches  of  the  Legislature 
to  the  Fredericton  Seminary.  In  1841,  Mr.  C.  D. 
Randall,  of  Acadia  College,  was  appointed  Principal, 
Mr.  Miles  having  resigned  owing  to  ill-health. 

Foreign  Missions.  The  Nova  Scotia  Association 
formed  itself  in  1838  into  a  united  society  for  the 
maintenance  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  requested  the 
New  Brunswick  Association  to  organize  themselves 
similarly  and  to  unite  with  them  in  the  education  and 
maintenance  of  some  one  suitable  person  as  a  mis 
sionary  in  some  Foreign  Field.  No  record  appears 
as  to  the  response  of  the  New  Brunswick  Baptists  to 
the  proposal,  but  it  is  evident  such  was  forthcoming. 


THE    MARITIME   PROVINCES  81 

Rev.  R.  E.  Burpee  was  chosen  by  the  joint  committee. 
Since  from  this  time  on  the  work  in  Foreign  Missions 
was  carried  on  by  the  Baptists  of  the  Maritime 
Provinces  in  common,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
Chapter  I.  for  the  subsequent  history. 

Sunday  Schools.  At  an  early  date  the  value  of  the 
Sunday  School  was  recognized  by  the  leaders,  but 
the  initiative  had  been  left  to  the  local  churches. 
The  Nova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick  Sabbath  School 
Union  was  formed  in  1840,  with  Rev.  I.  E.  Bill,  Presi 
dent,  and  I.  L.  Chipman,  Secretary.  D.  W.  C.  Dimock 
was  appointed  agent  for  New  Brunswick.  The  General 
Union  was  to  have  two  branches,  one  in  each  province, 
with  their  respective  officers.  This  is  the  foundation 
of  the  splendid  organization  now  possessed  by  the 
Maritime  Baptists. 

Home  Mission  Methods.  The  Committee,  appointed 
during  the  previous  decade,  does  not  seem  to  have 
pushed  the  work  very  vigorously.  They  confessed 
to  negligence  in  1832,  and  promised  the  appointment 
of  one  or  two  to  act  as  general  missionaries,  but  this 
was  not  done.  In  1834  the  plan  of  having  a  double 
Board,  composed  of  nine  from  St.  John  and  nine  from 
Fredericton  churches,  was  tried.  But  this  proving  un 
satisfactory,  the  Province  was  divided  the  following 
year  into  four  districts  each  under  the  direction  of  an 
executive,  the  four  executives  to  form  a  general  board. 
A  fifth  district,  known  as  the  North  or  Miramichi, 
was  added  in  1837,  but  discontinued  in  1846,  and 
the  County  of  Albert  made  a  district  This  arrange 
ment  continued  until  1853.  The  Christian  Messenger 
began  publication,  with  the  approval  of  the  two 
Provinces,  in  1837. 


82  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

(3)  Third  Decade  (1841-1851).  The  outstanding 
advance  steps  of  this  decade  are  the  formation  of  the 
Maritime  Convention  and  the  division  of  New  Bruns 
wick  into  two  associations.  The  former  was  described 
in  Chapter  I. 

The  Division  into  two  Associations  was  made  in 
1847,  the  lme  °f  division  to  run  from  the  Harbour  of 
St.  John,  up  the  river  to  the  Jamseg,  through  the 
Grand  Lake  and  along  Salmon  River  to  Richibucto; 
the  churches  in  the  city  of  St.  John  and  suburbs,  how 
ever,  to  be  included  in  the  Western  Association.  The 
Eastern  comprised  31  churches,  reporting  2,290  mem 
bers,  and  23  ordained  ministers;  the  Western  had  35 
churches,  2,490  members  and  22  ordained  ministers. 
Each  Association  was  to  have  its  own  Mission  Boards. 

In  General.  The  decade  was  one  of  slow  but  steady 
progress.  Home  Missions  were  pushed  vigorously 
and  new  districts  constantly  entered.  Work  amongst 
the  French  was  begun  by  Rev.  Obed  Chute,  in  1849, 
and  by  Peter  Knight  in  1851.  Foreign  Missions 
obtained  a  still  larger  place  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  the  New  Brunswick  Association  in  1843,  ^n  co~ 
operation  with  the  Nova  Scotia  brethren,  choosing 
British  Burmah  as  a  foreign  mission  field.  Sunday 
School  work  made  splendid  advances.  The  Frederic- 
ton  Seminary  received  an  increasingly  large  measure 
of  support.  Acadia  College  became  the  college  of  the 
Maritime  Baptists  in  1848.  Union  Societies  began 
to  be  organized  in  1845  f°r  tne  purpose  of  collecting 
funds  for  the  various  denominational  objects,  and  a 
General  Union  of  the  Province  was  formed.  The 
Christian  Visitor  was  established  in  1848  as  the  organ 
of  the  New  Brunswick  Baptists  and  rendered  valuable 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  83 

service.  Rev.  Edward  D.  Very  was  the  first  editor. 
The  statistics  for  1850  show  77  churches,  49  ordained 
ministers,  4,806  members,  an  increase  of  1,862  over 
the  number  in  1840,  or  63.2%.  This  is  abundant 
proof  that  the  healthiest  interest  had  been  maintained 
in  the  different  branches  of  denominational  life. 

(4)  Fourth     Decade     (1851-1861).       Progress    is 
the  keynote  of  this  decade  as  is  manifest  by  the  fact 
that  the  report  in  1860  shows  122  churches,  66  minis 
ters,  7,826  members,  an  increase  of  3,022  or  62.9%  over 
the  number  reported  in   1850.     This  was  due  in  no 
small  measure  to  the  unifying  and  systematizing  of  the 
Home  Mission  work  by  the  formation  of  the  "  New 
Brunswick  Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society  "  in  1853. 
The  sum  raised  by  the  Society  in  the  first  year  was 
$1,775.    In  1861  the  receipts  were  $3,016,  with  $1,600 
in  subscriptions  in  the  ledger  not  paid.     The  Union 
Societies    continued    to    render    efficient    service,    but 
much  of  the  credit   for  the  splendid  showing  is  due 
Rev.  Thomas  Todd. 

(5)  Fifth    Decade     (1861-1871).       Establishment. 
The  record  of  these  years  is  one  of  faithful  service 
in  building  well   upon   the   foundations   already  laid. 
The  report  of  1870  shows  only  7  new  churches  and  an 
increase  in  ordained  ministers  of  but  three,  yet  the 
increase  in  membership  was  2,547  or  32.5%.     All  the 
various  interests  of  the  denomination  received  the  most 
earnest  attention,  but  nothing  of  particular  note  in  any 
one  marks  the  decade. 

(6)  Sixth     Decade     (1871-1881).     This  decade  is 
noteworthy    for    various    reasons.      In    1872    it    was 
decided  to  sell  Fredericton  Seminary  and  unite  with 
the  Nova  Scotia  Baptists  in  academic  as  well  as  uni- 


84  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

versity  work  with  Horton  as  the  Seminary.  A  New 
Brunswick  Baptist  Sunday  School  Convention  was 
organized  in  the  same  year.  Seven  years  later  the 
Southern  Association  was  formed  from  the  Southern 
part  of  the  two  existing  Associations,  Rev.  I.  E.  Bill 
being  the  first  Moderator.  It  comprised  41  churches. 
In  November  of  the  same  year  the  Convention  took 
control  of  the  Home  Mission  work.  Considerable 
blessing  marked  the  passing  of  the  years,  the  net  in 
crease  being  22  churches,  14  ministers  and  3,421  mem 
bers,  making  a  total  of  151  churches,  69  ministers  and 
13,796  members. 

(7)  Seventh    Decade    (1881-1891).    This  decade 
was  one  of  steady  denominational  progress.     It  was 
marked  by  two  features  of  special  interest.     In  1882 
the  New  Brunswick  Baptist  Seminary  was  re-opened 
at  St.  John.     Subsequently  a  building  was  erected  in 
St.  Martins,  and  in  1888  the  Seminary  was  removed 
to  that  town.     In    1884  the   Free   Baptists   of   New 
Brunswick  united  with  the  Regular  Baptists  in  sup 
port  and  management  of  the  Seminary.     So  it  was 
thereafter  known  as  the  Union  Baptist  Seminary. 

(8)  Eighth    Decade    (1891-1901).   The    record    of 
steady  progress  was  maintained  in  this  decade.     The 
only  feature  of  special  interest  was  the  closing  of  the 
Seminary  in   1895.     It  did  a  valuable  work  for  the 
Baptists  of  New  Brunswick  and  for  public  education 
in  that  province. 

(9)  Ninth  Decade    (1901-1911).        Union.      The 
last  period  of  New  Brunswick  history  was  marked 
as  we  have  seen  in  Chapter  I.  by  the  union  of  the 
Free  and  Regular  Baptists.     That  Union  necessitated 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  85 

certain  readjustments  in  the  organization  of  the  New 
Brunswick  United  Baptists.  Pursuant  to  previous 
arrangement,  a  meeting,  composed  of  the  members  of 
the  Free  Baptist  Conference  of  New  Brunswick  and 
the  delegates  of  the  Western,  Southern  and  Eastern 
Baptist  Associations  of  the  same  Province,  was  held 
in  Waterloo  Street  Free  Baptist  Church,  St.  John,  on 
Tuesday,  October  loth,  1905.  "  The  Association  of 
the  United  Baptist  Churches  of  New  Brunswick" 
was  then  organized.  The  basis  of  union  was  as 
described  in  the  preceding  chapter.  The  churches 
composing  the  Association  were  to  be  divided  into  ten 
districts.  The  re-arrangement  of  pastorates  was  left 
in  the  hands  of  the  churches  concerned. 

Officers.  Moderator,  Rev.  Joseph  McLeod  D  D  ; 
Assistant  Moderator,  Rev.  G.  O.  Gates,  D.D. ;  Secre 
tary,  Rev.  W.  E.  Mclntyre;  Assistant  Secretary,  Rev. 
J.  B.  Daggett;  Treasurer,  James  Patterson;  Auditor, 
E.  M.  Sipprell. 

Progress.  The  Union  has  been  a  happy  one.  A 
spirit  of  unity  prevails  and  the  re-adjustments  have 
been  made  with  an  eye  single  to  God's  glory.  In  July, 
1910,  there  were  reported  in  New  Brunswick  229 
churches,  103  pastors,  29,125  members,  1,124  baptisms, 
a  net  increase  of  597,  and  287  Sunday  Schools  with  a 
total  average  attendance  of  9,933.  The  present  officers 
of  the  Association  are:  Moderator,  Rev.  H.  G. 
Kennedy :  Assistant  Moderator,  Rev.  H.  H.  Saunder*" 
Secretary,  F.  W.  Emmerson ;  Corresponding  Secretary 
Rev.  Jos.  McLeod,  D.D. ;  Assistant  Secretary  Rev 
A.  A.  Rideout,  M.A. ;  Treasurer,  Jas.  Patterson. 


86          THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 
2.  HOME:  MISSIONS. 

The  work  of  home  missions  has  been  basal  to  the 
whole  Baptist  structure  in,  New  Brunswick,  but  it  is 
impossible  within  the  limits  imposed  upon  us  to  more 
than  illustrate  this  fact. 

(1)    Plantings.    The  early  pioneers,  Charles  Miller, 
Elijah  Estabrooks,  Thomas  Magee,  James  Tozer,  David 
James,    W.    A.    Coleman,    Benjamin    Scott,    Edward 
Hickson,  Isaiah  Wallace,  Wm.  Edwards,  David  Harris, 
William  Sears,  Donald  McPhail  and  others,  were  truly 
Home  Mission  evangelists.     They  went   everywhere, 
planting     Baptist     churches     in     all     parts     of     the 
Province.     The  Home  Mission   Committee  exercised 
some     supervision     over     their    labors,    but     largely 
they     went     wherever     they     could     find     an     open 
ing    to    proclaim    the  gospel  tidings.     The   churches 
established    by    them    were    necessarily    weak,    and 
for     many    years     required     much     encouragement 
and    assistance.     As    the    work    became    more    sys 
tematized   the   Home   Mission   Committee   sent   their 
workers  to  build  up  these  and  to  open  up  adjacent 
districts  to  the  gospel.     They  also  sent  missionaries 
into  unoccupied  parts  to  establish  new  causes. 

(2)  Outgrowths.  Each  Home  Mission  Church 
thus  became  a  centre  from  which  the  message  was 
carried  to  other  places.  As  families  left  to  make  their 
homes  in  some  of  the  new  communities  being  con 
stantly  opened  up  they  formed  a  nucleus  for  a  new 
church.  Thus  from  Sackville  church  there  came  Dor 
chester,  Rockport,  Midgic,  Cookville,  Centre  Village, 
Point  Du  Bute  and  the  Cape  sections,  besides  still 
others  south  and  east  across  the  isthmus  of  Chignecto. 


w 


Baptist  Church, 


rch,  ir 53. 


TYPICAL  HOME  MISSION  CHURCHES. 

BAILLIK  AND  NEWCASTLE. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  87 

From  Salisbury  (1798),  Hopewell  (1818),  and  Hills- 
borough  (1822),  there  sprang  up  in  the  years  that 
followed  others  at  Five  Points,  Petitcodiac,  Pollet 
River,  Berryton,  Elgin,  Parkindale,  Baltimore,  Harvey, 
New  Horton,  Waterside  and  Alma,  with  some  smaller 
interests.  Thus  if  space  permitted  it  could  be  easily 
shown  that  practically  every  church,  outside  of  the 
cities  where  new  churches  have  been  formed  by  divi 
sion,  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  home  missionary  effort  in 
the  past,  either  under  the  direction  of  a  Home  Mission 
Committee  or  Board,  or  through  the  home  missionary 
instinct  prompting  some  man  or  church  to  carry  the 
gospel  to  regions  adjacent,  or  by  the  removal  of  fam 
ilies  from  what  at  one  time  were  home  mission  churches 
to  new  districts. 

(3)  French  Work.  Mention  has  been  made  of 
the  French  Acadians,  who  in  considerable  numbers 
are  to  be  found  in  our  northern  counties  bordering  on 
Quebec,  and  also  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  province 
down  to  the  isthmus  of  Chignecto.  At  different  periods 
some  attempt  has  been  made  to  give  them  the  gospel 
in  their  own  tongue.  Cyril  Doucette,  himself  a  con 
vert  from  Romanism,  and  French  by  extraction,  did 
considerable  work  among  them.  Obed  Chute,  both  in 
this  province  and  in  Nova  Scotia,  also  rendered  im 
portant  service  along  the  same  line. 

Peter  Knight,  who  was  a  native  of  Guernsey,  and 
who  spoke  French  fluently,  perhaps  more  than  any 
other  devoted  himself  to  French  evangelization,  travel 
ling  hundreds  of  miles  by  sleigh  and  carriage  among 
their  various  settlements.  During  these  tours  he 
traversed  the  entire  length  of  the  province  several 
times,  from  Madawaska  to  St.  John,  and  from  West- 


88  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

moreland  to  Restigouche.     To  this  he  continued  to 
devote  himself  until  his  death  in  the  autumn  of  1862. 

Following  the  labors  of  these  came  Rev.  M.  Nor- 
manday,  who  for  several  years  ministered  to  both 
French  and  English  in  various  sections  on  the  Gulf 
Shore.  In  more  recent  years  Rev.  C.  H.  Schutt 
preached  and  visited  among  both  French  and  English 
at  St.  Francis  and  Connors  Station  in  Madawaska, 
but  just  at  the  present  no  regular  laborer  is  employed 
to  serve  the  French  people.  During  all  these  efforts 
no  strictly  French  Baptist  church  was  ever  formed 
in  the  province,  but  several  of  the  members  of  our 
mission  churches  have  from  time  to  time  been  gathered 
from  that  nationality. 

(4)  Leaders.  The  above  sketch  of  Home  Missions 
has  introduced  so  many  names  of  worthy  men  that 
no  attempt  will  be  made  in  this  section  to  do  honor 
to  all  to  whom  honor  is  due,  but  the  editor  feels  that 
some  names  of  those  worthy  men  should  be  familiar 
to  the  Baptist  young  people  of  our  Dominion.  Per 
haps  the  most  worthy  have  not  been  chosen,  but  the 
following  amongst  many  others  should  be  held  in 
grateful  memory.  We  begin  with  a  layman: 

Deacon  Jacob  Bradshaw  was  a  successful  business 
man,  honest  and  humble.  He  gave  $55,000  to  Home 
and  Foreign  Missions  and  $10,000  for  a  Ministers' 
Annuity  Fund. 

Rev.  Richard  B.  Burpee,  whose  life  is  sketched 
amongst  the  Nova  Scotia  leaders,  was  a  native  of 
New  Brunswick. 

Rev.  W.  A.  Coleman  (1817-1877)  was  one  of  the 
many  faithful  ministers  and  honored  servants  of  God. 

Rev.  David  Crandall  (1795-1893)  spent  fifty  years 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  89 

in  the  ministry,  doing  much  pioneer  work,  baptizing 
many  and  organizing  many  churches.  He  was  of 
sterling  character,  deep  piety  and  unwavering  faith. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Curry  (1832-1880)  had  a  short  but  most 
successful  life.  He  was  fervent,  zealous  and  faithful. 

Rev.  W.  P.  Everett,  D.D.  (1826-1893),  held  several 
pastorates,  in  all  of  which  his  labors  were  greatly 
blessed,  and  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Foreign  Mission 
Board  of  the  Maritime  Provinces. 

Rev.  John  E.  Hopper,  D.D.  (1841-1895),  was  prin 
cipal  of  Fredericton  Seminary,  1861-1869,  and  editor 
and  proprietor  of  the  Christian  Visitor,  1878-1885,  and 
later  was  principal  of  St.  Martin's  Seminary  for  three 
years. 

Hon.  William  Boyd  Kinnear  (1796-1868)  was  active 
in  every  good  work,  and  honored  and  loved  by  all. 
His  services  to  the  cause  of  education  were  particu 
larly  valuable. 

Rev.  John  Marsters  (  -1861)  was  a  humble, 
laborious  minister  of  the  Cross,  much  blessed  in  the 
salvation  of  souls. 

Rev.  Alexander  McDonald  (1815-1851)  promoted 
the  Christian  Visitor. 

Rev.  W.  S.  McKenzie,  D.D.  (  -1896),  was  a  man 
of  ability  and  ripe  scholarship.  He  was  Secretary  of 
the  Foreign  Missionary  Board. 

Rev.  James  Ncwcombe  (1816-1874)  is  one  of  the 
many  who  by  excessive  work  have  cut  short  their 
ministry. 

Hon.  A.  F.  Randolph  (1833-1902),  banker  and 
lumber  merchant,  took  a  great  interest  in  the  public 
education  of  New  Brunswick  and  was  a  large  con 
tributor  to  all  denominational  enterprises. 


90          THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Rev.  Chas.  Spurden,  D.D.  (1812-1876),  was  prin 
cipal  of  the  Fredericton  Seminary  for  twenty-four 
years.  He  was  wise,  modest  and  a  devoted  Christian. 

Rev.  Thomas  Todd  (1824-1901),  a  successful  pas 
tor,  rendered  special  service  as  agent  of  missionary 
funds. 

Rev.  Edward  D.  Very,  M.A.,  drowned  1852;  as 
pastor  and  editor  of  the  Christian  Visitor  exercised  a 
wide  and  salutary  influence. 

Rev.  James  Wallace  (1797-1871)  was  most  success 
ful  as  an  evangelist ;  baptized  140  in  a  single  revival. 

Rev.  George  A.  Weathers  (1832-1901)  in  a  minis 
try  of  thirty-seven  years  held  only  two  pastorates — • 
at  Newport  and  Kempt. 

There  are  many  who  are  still  living  and  giving  their 
best  life  and  thought  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  but  we 
will  leave  to  the  future  historian  the  delightful  task 
of  recounting  the  services  they  have  rendered. 

B.— FREE  BAPTISTS, 
i.     ORIGIN. 

(1)  Organization.  When  the  Free  Baptists  of 
New  Brunswick  began  to  be,  history  does  not  say. 
The  body  which,  in  1905,  was  known  as  the  Free 
Baptist  General  Conference  of  New  Brunswick  was 
organized  at  Wakefield,  Carleton  Co.,  October  i3th, 
1832.  The  organization  embraced  six  churches  and 
two  ordained  ministers.  The  churches  were  located 
at  Wakefield,  Bear  Island,  Jacksontown,  Little  River, 
Lincoln  and  Uper  Sussex.  Elders  Samuel  Nutt  and 
Charles  McMullin  were  the  ministers. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  91 

Name.  The  new  organization  took  the  name, 
"  New  Brunswick  Christian  Conference."  This  was 
changed  in  1847  to  "  Free  Christian  Baptist  Confer 
ence."  In  1898  the  body  became,  by  legislative  enact 
ment,  the  "  Free  Baptist  General  Conference."  The 
separate  identity  of  the  body  became  lost  when  the 
Regular  Baptists  and  Free  Baptists  united  to  form  the 
"  United  Baptist  Convention  of  the  Maritime  Bap 
tists  "  in  1905. 

Cause.  The  movement  which  took  form  in  the 
organization  of  the  denomination  was  chiefly  a  pro 
test  against  two  things — the  unspiritual  ministry  and 
empty  forms  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  extreme 
Calvinism  as  held  by  some  of  the  Baptists  of  that  time. 
In  the  very  ardency  of  their  zeal  and  unswerving 
devotion  to  truth  the  fathers  hewed  so  close  to  the 
line  that  doctrinal  preaching  soon  became  general, 
after  the  first  evangelistic  wave  had  passed.  In  this 
atmosphere  controversy  soon  developed  between  Cal- 
vinists,  who  followed  their  views  to  the  borders  of 
antinomianism,  and  the  Arminians,  who  pushed  the 
doctrine  of  free-will  to  the  other  extreme.  Thus  the 
cleavage  resulted  which  produced  the  Free  Baptist 
General  Conference  side  by  side  with  the  Association 
of  Regular  Baptist  Churches. 

Changes  in  Organization.  It  does  not  appear  from 
any  existing  record  that  the  Conference  at  its  organ 
ization  adopted  any  constitution  or  rules.  It  was 
simply  agreed  to  meet  together,  each  minister  to  be  a 
member  of  the  conference,  and  each  church  to  be 
represented  by  two  messengers.  From  1835  to  1849 
two  sessions  of  the  Conference  were  held  each  year, 
one  in  July  for  the  district  from  Fredericton  up  the 


92  THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

St.  John  River,  and  one  in  October  for  river  counties 
below  Fredericton  and  those  in  the  Eastern  part  of 
the  province.  In  1847  tne  union  between  the  Con 
ferences  of  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia  took 
place.  By  this  they  became  "  one  denomination  "  with 
the  understanding  that  each  Conference  retain  its  own 
government  and  send  delegates  yearly  each  to  the 
other.  In  1849  tne  P^an  °f  grouping  the  churches 
into  districts  was  adopted.  Each  district  held  an 
annual  meeting  to  which  the  churches  forming  the 
district  reported  and  sent  delegates.  The  Conference 
had  the  right  to  appoint  ministers  to  attend  a  district 
meeting,  and  also  the  power  to  amend  the  constitution 
of  the  district  meetings.  The  Moderator,  Recording 
Secretary,  and  Treasurer  of  the  Conference  were  ex- 
officio  members.  The  Conference,  on  the  division  into 
districts,  became  composed  of  its  ordained  ministers 
and  licentiates,  its  officers,  and  delegates  from  the 
district  meetings.  The  officers  of  the  Conference 
were:  Moderator,  Assistant  Moderator,  Recording 
Secretary,  Assistant  Recording  Secretary,  Correspond 
ing  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  Auditor. 

(2)  Officers.    The  Secretary  of  the  first  session  was 
Elijah    Sisson.      His    successors    have   been    Richard 
Holmes    (1838-1851),      B.  J.  Underhill   (1851-1873), 
George    E.   Foster    (1873-1880),  D.   McLeod    Vince 
(1880-1905).      The   Treasurers   have    been   William 
Peters     (1851-1890),    F.  M.    McLeod     (1890-1891), 
James  Patterson  (1891-1905). 

(3)  Changes  in  Method.         In  the  early  days   of 
the  simpler  life  of  the  Free  Baptists  no  real  Home 
Mission  organizations  directed  or  even  assisted  in  the 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  93 

labors  of  God's  servants.  They  went  as  they  were 
constrained  by  the  Spirit's  call,  and  as  doors  opened 
for  service.  The  first  attempt  at  raising  money  for 
Conference  purposes  was  made  in  1850.  The  General 
Conference  Fund  was  then  established.  Every  church 
member  was  requested  to  contribute  yearly  not  less 
than  one  shilling.  The  fund  was  to  be  used  as  the 
Conference  might  direct.  It  marks  the  first  step 
towards  systematic  support  of  the  work  entrusted  to 
the  denomination.  Up  to  1850  very  strong  objections 
were  entertained  by  both  preachers  and  people,  to 
settled  pastors,  or  any  system  of  labor.  In  1851, 
however,  the  churches  were  coupled  into  "  Districts  of 
Care,"  and  elders  designated  to  look  after  them.  The 
Conference  in  1853  recommended  the  churches  "to 
enter  into  definite  arrangements  as  they  were 
able  for  regular  ministerial  labors."  In  the 
same  year  The  Religious  Intelligencer  was  estab 
lished  by  Rev.  Ezekiel  McLeod,  the  Elders' 
Conference  was  organized,  Conference  employed 
its  first  missionary,  Elder  W.  E.  Pennington, 
and  incorporation  of  the  Conference  was  applied  for. 
A  Board  of  Missions  was  appointed  in  1855  to  have 
control  of  all  the  missionary  work  of  the  denomina 
tion.  A  plan  of  circuits  was  suggested  by  the  Con 
ference  in  1859,  but  as  it  did  not  work  satisfactorily 
it  was  discontinued  in  1861.  Up  to  1862  a  unanimous 
vote  was  required  before  any  action  could  be  con 
summated,  either  in  Conference,  District  Meeting  or 
Church,  but  in  that  year  the  rule  was  changed  to  a 
four-fifths  vote,  except  in  the  case  of  reception  or 
expulsion  of  members.  Both  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 


94  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

sionary  Societies  were  formed  in  1864,  the  Foreign 
Mission  Society  undertaking  the  support  of  Dr. 
Philips.  The  Free  Baptist  Education  Society  was 
organized  in  1865  and  continued  in  existence  till  1884, 
in  which  year  it  became  part  of  the  Union  Baptist 
Education  Society.  A  Women's  Missionary  Society 
was  organized  in  1875.  In  1887  the  several  depart 
ments  of  the  denomination's  work  came  under  the 
management  of  committees  of  the  Conference.  At 
each  Annual  Session  the  Conference  appointed  what 
was  called  an  Executive  Committee  for  each  of  the 
following  interests:  Home  Missions,  Foreign  Mis 
sions,  Sunday  Schools,  and  Relief  of  Sick  and  Dis 
abled  Ministers.  Each  Executive  had  its  Chairman, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  reported  to  the  Con 
ference  what  it  had  done  during  the  year.  No  im 
portant  changes  in  me'thod  were  made  from  1887  to 
1905. 

(4)  Ordination.  Prior  to  1851  ordinations  were 
authorized  by  councils  called  by  churches,  and  some 
times,  perhaps,  at  the  mere  suggestion  of  two  or  three 
preachers.  In  that  year  the  Conference  adopted  the 
rule  "  that  any  church  or  churches  requiring  the 
ordination  of  any  brother  or  .brethren  for  the  ministry 
apply  to  either  a  General  Conference  or  a  District 
Meeting;  that  the  Conference  or  Meeting  so  applied 
to  examine  the  candidate  or  candidates,  and  set  such 
apart,  by  imposition  of  hands,  as  the  interests  of  the 
church  may  require."  In  1883  another  change  was 
made — the  right  to  ordain  being  given  exclusively  to 
the  General  Conference,  and  being  exercised  only  by 
a  four-fifths  vote  of  that  body. 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  95 

2.  DENOMINATIONAL,  PROGRESS. 

(1)  Beginnings.        For   many   years   prior   to   the 
organization  of  the  Conference  the  work  of  seed  sow 
ing  was  going  on.     The  men  of  God's  choosing  went 
over   the   country   preaching   the   truth,   making   war 
against  error,  and  holding  up  Jesus  as  the  Saviour  for 
all  men.     They  travelled    horseback    and   sometimes 
afoot,  over   fresh  roads    and    through    lonely   forest 
paths.     Some  of  them  were  farmers   who  left  their 
axes  for  a  short  season  to  carry  the  gospel  to  other 
places.     People  as  well  as  preachers  were  proclaimers 
of  the  message  of  life.     No  one  knows  the  first  church 
organization,  but  at  an  early  date  little  groups  of  wor 
shippers,  having  the  same  thoughts  of  God  and  the 
teachings  of  His  word,  and  worshipping  in  the  same 
simple  manner,  were  in  various  parts  of  the  country. 

(2)  Expansion.      The    First   Decade    (1832-1842) 
began  with  6  churches  and  2  elders.     In  three  years 
this  increased  to  20  churches  and  8  elders.     The  first 
minister  to  be  ordained   was   W.   E.   Pennington,   in 
1832. 

The  Second  Decade  (1842-1852)  was  evidently 
marked  by  rapid  progress,  for  in  1847,  when  the  first 
official  record  appears,  there  were  14  ordained  elders, 
40  churches,  with  2,000  members. 

The  Third  Decade  (1852-1862)  was  marked  by  re 
vivals  and  the  organization  of  new  churches,  though, 
owing  to  the  indefiniteness  of  the  reports  no  statistical 
statement  of  these  can  be  made. 

The  Fourth  Decade  (1862-187%)  was  one  of  con 
siderable  encouragement,  yet  since  it  was  marked  by 


96  THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

so  many  changes  in  method  and  organization,  it  was 
one  that  tested  severely  the  faith  and  courage  of  the 
denomination.  The  additions  to  the  churches  by  bap 
tism  were  4,813. 

The  Fifth  Decade  (1872-1882)  was  one  of  pros 
perity;  5,246  baptisms  were  reported,  there  being 
1,200  in  1876.  The  census  of  1881  gave  the  number 
of  Free  Baptists  and  adherents  in  New  Brunswick  as 
31,603. 

The  Sixth  Decade  (1882-1892)  was  marked  by  the 
loss  of  nine  ordained  ministers  and  three  licentiates — 
the  result  of  an  unhappy  schism,  caused  by  the  doc 
trine  of  "  instantaneous  entire  sanctification."  The 
churches  had  a  severe  struggle,  but  recovered  quickly,' 
and  the  work  went  on  encouragingly.  The  additions 
by  baptism  during  the  decade  were  3,705. 

The  Seventh  Decade  (I8p2-19o2)  shows  a  record  of 
steady  progress.  The  reports  presented  in  1901  show 
156  churches,  with  a  membership  of  12,428  and  49 
ordained  ministers. 

3.    DOCTRINE. 

In  the  beginning  they  had  no  written  creed.  Hence 
strange  doctrines  were  sometimes  introduced  and  the 
denomination  blamed  for  teaching  that  which  was 
contrary  to  their  faith.  At  the  Conference  in  1835 
a  resolution  was  passed  "  remonstrating  against  Uni- 
versalism,  Unitarianism,  Antinomianism,  Infant  Pur 
ity,  and  Annihilation,"  and  declaring  that  "  from  our 
rise  we  have  believed  those  sentiments  unscriptural." 
Stewart's  "History  of  Free-Will  Baptists"  gives  a 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  97 

statement  of  their  belief,  from  which  we  gather  that 
they  believed,  as  most  Baptists  do,  in  inspiration,  the 
Trinity,  salvation  only  through  Christ,  a  general  atone 
ment  as  opposed  to  a  limited  atonement,  the  Holy 
Ghost  a  guide  and  comforter,  the  foreknowledge  of 
God  but  also  the  free  moral  agency  of  every  man,  a 
divine  call  to  the  ministry,  regenerate  church  member 
ship,  baptism  only  of  believers  and  by  immersion,  wor 
ship    in    spirit    and   in   truth.     The   main   difference 
from   our   commonly   accepted   Baptist   position    was 
in  respect  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  they  believed 
to  be  for  all  "  who  by  humble  faith  can  discern  the 
Lord's  body."     A  treatise  of  faith  along  the  lines  of 
the   foregoing  was   published   in    1847.     Three  years 
later  they  published  an  historical  sketch,  articles  of 
faith,  constitution  and  rules,  a  system  of  church  dis 
cipline  and  a  form  of  marriage  ceremony.     They  have 
strongly  opposed  the  liquor  traffic,  refusing,  by  resolu 
tion   in    1851,   to   recognize    as    a    Christian   anyone 
engaged  in  its  traffic.     And  in  1900,  in  a  strong  and 
comprehensive    resolution,    declared    that    "  by    their 
church   covenant   Free   Baptists   are   pledged   against 
the  use   of  and   traffic   in   intoxicating  liquors,"   and 
urged  all  Christians  to  work  together  for  the  utter 
destruction  of  the  traffic. 

4.     LEADERS,  1822-1905. 

From  the  very  first  the  ministers  and  members  of 
this  body  have  been  highly  aggressive  and  evangelical. 
They  made  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  only,  their  text 
book  and  manual  of  faith  and  practice.  They  drank 


98          THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

deeply  from  the  fountains  of  truth,  and  were  imbued 
with  the  apostolic  spirit  and  fervor.  It  was  their 
master  passion  to  win  souls  for  Christ  and  His  ser 
vice;  every  preacher  was  an  evangelist  in  himself, 
In  home  mission  effort  in  this  province  they  have 
been  unsurpassed,  and  in  proportion  to  the  numbers 
with  which  they  began  their  organization  in  1832, 
their  growth  is  without  parallel.  A  brief  sketch  01 
some  of  the  leaders  is  now  in  place. 

Daniel  Shaw.  Of  the  earlier  laborers  Daniel  Shaw 
deserves  especial  mention.  His  work  at  Millstream 
and  other  sections  of  Kings  about  the  beginning  of 
the  last  century  resulted  in  the  planting  of  several 
Free  Baptist  interests.  These  communities  are  still 
largely  dominated  by  our  views.  After  preaching  for 
more  than  fifty  years  he  was  called  to  his  reward  in 
1838. 

Robert  Colpitts  (1769-1855).  Among  the  men 
who  had  much  to  do  in  establishing  the  first  interests 
in  Kings,  Albert  and  Westmoreland,  the  name  of 
Robert  Colpitts  stands  conspicuous.  From  1810  to 
his  death  in  1855  he  labored  in  the  various  settlements 
on  the  headwaters  of  both  the  Kennebecasis  and  the 
Petitcodiac.  Extensive  revivals  took  place  under  his 
ministry. 

Henry  Cronkhite  is  another  whose  name  has  come 
down  to  us.  Possessed  in  large  measure  of  the  spirit 
of  the  early-day  evangelists,  he  was  untiring  in  his 
devotion,  and  won  many  trophies  for  the  Master. 
While  busy  in  his  last  revival  at  Jerusalem,  Queen's 
County,  he  was  called  home  in  the  year  1847. 

Charles  McMullin  (1791-1879),  also  one  of  the 
pioneers,  preached  chiefly  in  Victoria  and  Carleton 


THE   MARITIME   PROVINCES  99 

Counties,  organizing  several  of  the  churches  in  that 
section.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  filled  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  was  abundant  in  labors  during 
the  entire  period  of  his  ministry  (1830-1879). 

Samuel  Nutt  spent  considerable  time  along  the  St. 
John  River  from  1830  onward,  and  with  Charles 
McMullin  aided  in  the  organization  of  the  Free 
Baptist  Conference  at  Wakefield,  Carleton  County,  in 
October,  1832.  W.  E.  Pennington  and  Joseph  Noble, 
both  afterwards  ordained  ministers,  were  also  present 
at  the  same  meeting. 

Samuel  Hartt  (1799-1867).  Of  all  the  names  that 
are  on  record  in  this  early  period  of  Conference  his 
tory,  that  of  Samuel  Hartt  occupies  perhaps  the  most 
unique  place.  After  his  ordination  in  1831  he  started 
on  his  memorable  career  in  revival  work,  visiting 
scores  of  settlements  from  Westmoreland  to  Carleton 
County,  and  gathering  hundreds  of  converts  into  the 
churches. 

Honored  Names.  Time  would  fail  us  to  tell  of  the 
labors  of  many  more — Abner  Mersereau,  Ezekiel 
Sipprell,  W.  E.  Pennington,  Jacob  Gunter,  Alexander 
Taylor,  Robert  French,  J.  G.  McKenzie,  William 
Downey,  and  others,  who  were  earnest  and  devoted 
soul-winners,  and  whose  memories  are  fragrant  in 
the  history  of  the  churches  throughout  the  province. 

Ezekiel  McLeod  (1812-1867).  One  name  at  least 
calls  for  a  more  extended  notice.  It  is  that  of  Ezekiel 
McLeod,  the  intelligent  organizer  of  systematic 
denominational  effort,  and  founder  of  The  Religious 
Intelligencer.  His  ministry  was  crowded  with  activi 
ties  of  a  varied  character.  In  addition  to  his  pastorates 
in  St.  John  and  Fredericton,  he  edited  the  journal  of 


ioo         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

the  body ;  found  time  to  preach  in  a  large  number  of 
the  churches,  giving  also  many  addresses  on  temper 
ance  and  other  moral  issues,  and  doing  a  vast  amount 
of  service,  which  he  felt  called  upon  to  perform  in  the 
interests  of  truth  and  righteousness  everywhere.  Dr. 
Joseph  McLeod,  editor  of  The  Maritime  Baptist,  widely 
known  to  the  churches  throughout  Canada,  is  his  son. 


PART  II.-ONTARIO  AND  QUEBEC. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

INDIVIDUAL    EVANGELIZATION    AND 

ATTEMPTED  ORGANIZATION 

(1776-1851). 

INTRODUCTION. 

Harly  Conditions.  At  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  during  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth, 
the  Baptists  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada  (now 
Ontario  and  Quebec)  did  not  constitute  a  body  or  an 
organization,  but  consisted  of  scattered  individuals 
and  of  small  communities  widely  separated  from  each 
other.  And  yet  the  scanty  records  of  the  period  show 
that  the  church  instinct,  or  church  spirit,  was  strong 
amongst  them,  so  that  wherever  a  sufficient  number 
found  themselves  near  to  each  otiher  a  Baptist  church; 
was  formed.  Distance,  lack  of  transportation  methods; 
and  bad  roads  made  anything  like  united  or  concerted' 
action  an  impossibility.  Hence  the  Home  Mission 
work  of  that  period  meant  simply  the  efforts  of  indi 
vidual  Christians  or  of  individual  churches  towards 
the  evangelization  of  the  people  of  their  respective 
communities.  The  period  may  very  appropriately  be 
called  "  The  Period  of  Individualism  "  in  Home  Mis 
sion  work.  It  is  true  that  as  far  back  as  1816  attempts 

101 


102         THE    BAPTISTS    OF    CANADA 

were  made  to  secure  co-operation  amongst  the  widely 
scattered  Baptist  churches;  but  the  distances  were  so 
great  and  the  cohesive  power  of  the  projected  organi 
zations  so  weak  that  but  little  progress  was  made  in 
the  direction  of  united  effort. 

Why  Baptists  Were  Few.     Another  difficulty  was 
that  of  the  fewness  of  the  Baptists  as  compared  with 
other  denominations.     The  reason   for  this  may  be 
found  largely  in  the  fact  that  the  population  of  Upper 
Canada  and  of  the  Eastern  Townships  of  Lower  Can 
ada  contained  a  large  proportion  of  United  Empire 
\  Loyalists.      Baptists   were   numerous    in   the   United 
\  States  at  that  time,  but  a  large  proportion  of  them 
I  were  favorably  disposed  to  the  independence  move 
ment,  and  hence  very  few  of  them  were  found  amongst 
those  who  came  .to  Canada  at  the  close  of  the  American 
War  of  Independence. 

i.  BEGINNINGS. 

(1)  First  Churches.  Traditions  and  fragmentary 
records  give  us  fairly  reliable  evidence  that  Baptist 
work  was  begun,  and  penhaps  Baptist  churches  formed 
in  Canada,  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary 
War  in  1783.  But  no  authentic  or  continuous  records 
have  been  preserved.  It  is  difficult,  perhaps  impossible, 
to  decide  definitely  what  was  the  first  Baptist  church 
in  what  was  then  called  Canada.  It  is  probably 
between  the  Beamsville  church  in  the  Niagara  district 
and  the  church  at  Caldwell's  Manor  in  the  Eastern 
Townships  of  Quebec.  Tradition  says  that  the  Beams 
ville  church  was  organized  in  I7/^,  but  no  reliable 
records  can  be  found  until  1796^  At  that  date  the 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  103 

church  was  well  organized,  so  that  the  probabilities  are 
that  it  was  organized  some  years  earlier.  The  church 
at  Caldwell's  Manor  was  organized  in  1794  by  Rev.  E. 
Andrews  from  Fairfax,  Vermont.  He  baptized  thirty 
converts  and  formed  them  into  a  church,  and  Mr. 
William  Marsh  became  their  first  pastor.  Two  years 
later  the  whole  membership  of  this  church  removed 
to  Eaton  Township,  to  lands  granted  them  by  the  Gov 
ernment.  The  Eaton  church  subsequently  became  the 
Sawyerville  church,  so  that  it  has  practically  had  a 
continuous  existence  since  1794.  About  the  same  time, 
1795,  Reuben  Crandall  organized  a  church  at  Hallo- 
well's,  in  Prince  Edward  County,  and  in  1798  the 
Haldimand  church  was  formed. 

(2)  First  Groupings.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the 
beginnings  of  Baptist  work  in  Ontario  and  Quebec 
were  in  three  widely  separated  centres:  Caldwell's 
Manor — and  we  might  add  St.  Armand  (Abbot's  Cor 
ner) — in  the  east;  Haldimand  and  Hallowell's  in  the 
centre;  and  Beamsville  in  the  west.  From  each  of 
these  centres  the  work  spread  and  churches  were 
organized  over  a  large  area. 

Relation  of  these  to  Present  Associations.  The 
eastern  group  of  churches  covered  much  the 
same  territory  as  that  now  occupied  by  the  Eastern, 
the  Ottawa  and  the  Canada  Central  Associations. 
The  Central  group  included  the  early  churches  in 
what  are  now  the  Toronto,  the  Whitby  and  Lindsay, 
and  the  Peterborough  Associations.  The  Western 
group  spread  chiefly  to  the  West  from  Beamsville  and 
included  the  early  churches  organized  in  the  whole 
of  what  is  commonly  called  the  Western  Peninsula  of 
Ontario. 


104         THE    BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

(3)  Obstacles  to  Union.  From  the  earliest 
records  of  the  churches  in  all  these  districts  it  is 
evident  that  there  was  a  strong  desire  for  unification 
and  co-operation,  and  that  efforts  were  repeatedly 
jmade  towards  that  end.  But  in  addition  to  the  ob 
stacles  to  such  union  already  named,  there  were  others 
equally  serious.  The  churches  in  the  east  and  west 
knew  but  little  of  each  other.  Those  in  the  east 
largely  came  from  and  had  their  fellowship  with 
Great  Britain.  Those  in  the  west  came  from  the 
United  States,  and  their  intercourse  and  fellowship 
were  with  the  States.  There  were  also  differences 
between  the  "  open  "  and  the  "  strict "  Communionists. 
For  many  years  this  question  was  a  bone  of  conten 
tion,  and  this,  coupled  with  the  ultra-independence  of 
the  churches,  rendered  all  attempts  at  union  and  co 
operation  abortive.  This  spirit  of  independence  was 
carried  so  far  that  strong  objection  was  taken  to  any 
organization  outside  the  local  church,  even  for  pur 
poses  of  co-operation  in  evangelistic  work  or  for 
fellowship  in  the  ordinances  of  the  church,  and  it  was 
not  until,  through  revivals,  new  blood  was  brought 
into  the  churches  that  new  ideas  began  to  prevail. 

2.  PROGRESS  IN  THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  CHURCHES. 

In  order  to  a  clear  understanding  of  the  movements 
towards  the  union  of  Baptist  forces  in  the  two  Pro 
vinces,  it  is  necessary  to  glance  briefly  at  the  progress 
made  during  the  first  thirty-five  years  of  the  last 
century  in  the  matter  of  church  organization 

(1)  The  Eastern  Group.  From  St.  Armand  and  the 
Baton  Church.  Under  the  leadership  of  Wm.  Marsh, 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  105 

churches  were  organized  at  Stanstead,  Hatley,  Button 
and  Stanbridge  in  the  Eastern  Townships — all  of  which 
have  long  since  ceased  to  exist. 

In  the  Ottawa  District.  Bredalbane  was  the  first 
church  to  be  organized  (1817).  The  leaders  in 
its  organization  were  Allan  McDiarmid  and  Peter 
McDougall — one  a  strong  Calvinist,  the  other  an 
equally  strong  Arminian.  Each  had  his  followers, 
and  the  controversy  was  so  keen  that  the  church 
divided.  Better  counsels  prevailed,  however,  and 
William  Eraser  became  the  first  pastor  in  1821. 
Clarence  was  probably  the  second  church  in  the 
Ottawa  district.  It  was  organized  under  the  leader 
ship  of  John  Edwards,  in  1825,  with  seven  members. 
It  became  one  of  the  strongest  Baptist  centres,  and 
was  for  many  years  the  home  church  of  Stephen 
Tucker,  the  famous  Ottawa  lumberman  of  that  period. 
Dalesville  was  organized  by  Duncan  McPhail,  a  public 
school  teacher,  in  1826.  He  conducted  services  for 
three  years.  His  son,  Daniel  McPhail,  was  converted 
and  baptized,  and,  though  but  a  lad,  conducted  the 
services  of  the  Dalesville  church  from  1830  to  1835. 
In  this  church  occurred  one  of  the  typical  revivals 
of  that  day.  Gilmour  and  Fraser  visited  the  settle 
ment.  These  two  men  and  the  McPhails  spent  the 
whole  night  in  prayer  before  the  first  meeting  was 
held.  The  whole  community  was  moved,  and  between 
70  and  80  were  baptized.  This  old  church,  now  very 
weak,  has  had  a  remarkable  history.  John  Edwards 
was  pastor  from '1835  to  J843-  He  was  followed  by 
John  King,  who  was  pastor  for  37  years.  He  bap 
tized  250  into  its  membership.  Up  to  the  present  time 
this  church  has  baptized  nearly  600  converts  and  sent 


io6        THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

out  four  well-known  ministers — Daniel  McPhail,  John 
Higgins,  J.  G.  Calder  and  R.  S.  McArthur — and  yet 
at  the  present  time  it  reports  a  membership  of  only 
77.  The  First  Church,  Montreal,  was  organized  in 
1830,  with  25  members.  Rev.  John  Gilmour  was  the 
first  pastor.  This  church  at  that  time,  and  for  many 
years  after,  was  in  the  closest  fellowship  with  the 
churches  of  the  Ottawa  district.  The  work  spread, 
and  churches  were  organized  at  Osgoode,  1839,  Osna- 
bruck  Centre,  1841,  Ormond,  1842,  and  Ottawa  City, 

1855- 

Characteristics.  These  eastern  Baptists  were  a 
distinct  type.  They  were  largely  composed  of  Scotch 
settlers,  with  a  few  English.  They  were  men  of  strong 
convictions  and  sound  in  doctrine.  They  believed  that 
the  purpose  or  function  of  the  church  was  the  edifica 
tion  of  the  saints  and  attendance  at  the  Lord's  Supper. 
They  rejected  all  man-made  creeds  and  entertained  a 
strong  hatred  for  State  churches.  They  believed  that 
ministers  were  simply  speaking  brethren  and  that  they 
should  not  receive  a  salary.  Evangelists  might  be 
sustained  by  the  churches  as  they  had  no  fixed  place 
of  abode  and  no  other  means  of  providing  for  their 
families. 

Attitude  to  the  Communion  question.  In  the 
earlier  history  of  the  churches,  they  were  all,  both 
pastors  and  churches,  open  communionists.  As  the 
years  went  on,  the  inconsistency  and  impracticability 
of  this  position  became  more  and  more  manifest,  and 
they  gradually  drew  towards  the  strict  communion 
practice.  The  church  at  St.  Andrews  was  the  last 
of  this  group  of  churches  to  come  into  line.  The 
strong  type  of  the  Christianity  in  these  churches  is 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  107 

evidenced  by  the  moral  condition  of  the  community. 
Mr.  Fraser,  the  first  pastor  of  the  Breadalbane  Church, 
was  with  them  for  19  years,  and  he  said  at  the  end 
of  his  pastorate  that  in  the  19  years  he  "  had  never 
heard  an  oath  nor  seen  a  glass  of  liquor  drunk  in 
Breadalbane." 

(2)  The  Central  Group.  Hallowell's  and  Haldi- 
mand.  The  progress  in  the  organization  of  churches 
in  this  group  was  not  nearly  so  rapid  as  in  the  East,  nor 
were  the  records  so  well  preserved.  Reuben  Crandall 
organized  the  church  in  Hallowell's  in  1795,  and  in 
Haldimand  in  1798.  From  these  centres  a  number  of 
other  churches  were  formed,  including  Cramahe,  Thur- 
low,  Rawdon  and  Peterboro.  From  these  were  formed 
the  Thurlow  Association. 

Harlem.  Some  distance  east  of  these  churches  in 
Leeds  County,  a  church  was  organized  at  Harlem — 
now  Phillipsville — by  Joseph  Connell,  a  missionary 
from  the  United  States.  It  is  probable  that  the  ordina 
tion  of  Abel  Stephens  by  this  church,  in  1804,  was 
the  first  ordination  in  these  two  Provinces,  although 
Titus  Finch  was  ordained  later  in  the  same  year. 
Harlem  became  the  centre  of  another  group  of 
churches,  including  Brockville  and  Kingston,  out  of 
which  was  formed  the  Johnstown  Association. 

Strong  men,  such  as  Crandall,  Winchell,  Winn, 
Abel  Stephens,  Samuel  Tapscott  and  Robert  Boyd, 
left  their  impress  upon  the  churches  of  this  central 
district  and  gave  to  them  a  standing  and  influence 
similar  to  that  attained  by  the  churches  of  the  east.  ^ 

Baptists  of  Toronto.  It  is  difficult  to  decide/ 
what  was  the  first  Baptist  church  in  Toronto.  The 
colored  people  have  always  designated  their  church 


io8         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

"  The  First  Baptist  Church."  The  date  of  its  organiza 
tion  is  not  definitely  known,  but  it  is  known  that  in 
1837  they  had  a  flourishing  church  with  a  membership 
of  66.  The  pastor's  name  was  William  Christian. 
,  The  Haldimand  Association  met  with  this  church 
in  1838. 

The  church  of  which  Jarvis  St.  Church  is  the  per 
petuation  was  organized  in  1829.  Its  work  was  much 
hindered  by  dissension  and  by  1836  it  was  almost 
extinct.  Out  of  the  wreckage  was  organized  a  new 
church,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  E.  Maxwell. 
This  church  prospered  for  a  time  and,  in  1838,  erected 
a  new  church  building  at  a  cost  of  £190  13^.  nl/2d.  In 
1840,  the  church  was  reduced  to  a  membership  of 
only  20,  and  without  a  pastor.  In  the  same  year, 
another  church  was  organized,  into  which  the  older 
organization  was  probably  merged.  In  1844,  Rev. 
R.  A.  Fyfe  became  the  pastor.  He  remained  with 
them  for  four  years  and  left  them  with  64  members — 
the  exact  number  with  which  he  found  them — but 
the  membership  had  been  harmonized,  the  work 
thoroughly  organized  and  the  church  put  into  shape 
for  future  progress.  During  the  last  year  of  his 
pastorate  he  received  Wm.  McMaster  into  the  mem 
bership  of  the  church.  The  Rev.  James  Piper  was 
the  next  pastor,  and  under  his  ministry  the  member 
ship  rose  rapidly  from  64  in  1848  to  193  in  1851. 
Vi/^  From  tnis  time  on  tne  growth  of  Toronto  Baptists 
has  been  uninterrupted  and  rapid. 

(3)  The  Western  Group.  Early  Churches.  As 
already  stated,  the  exact  date  of  the  organization  of  the 
Beamsville  Church  is  not  known.  In  all  probability  it 
was  some  time  about  1794  or  1795.  It  was  at  least  well 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  109 

organized  in  1796.  It  was  first  known  as  the  Clinton 
Church.  Probably  the  next  church  in  the  Western  dis 
trict  was  the  Charlotteville  Church,  now  Vittoria, 
organized  in  1804  by  Titus  Finch,  and  following  closely 
upon  Charlotteville  was  Townsend  (Boston),  in  the 
same  year.  These  three  churches  were  amongst  the 
first  in  the  two  Provinces  to  manifest  the  missionary  , 
spirit.  They  sent  out  ministers  and  evangelists  through 
all  the  Lake  Erie  district  and  west  and  north,  as  far  as 
Aylmer  and  London.  A  little  later  their  evangelists 
were  found  as  far  west  as  St.  Thomas  and  even 
Windsor.  From  Beamsville  were  organized  South 
Ancaster,  Niagara,  Queenston,  Drummondville  and 
St.  Catharines;  and  from  Charlotteville  went  out  the 
influences  and  agencies  that  led  to  the  formation  of 
the  churches  in  Bayham,  Malahide,  Walsingham, 
Walpole,  Middleton,  Oxford  (Woodstock),  Aylmer 
and  London.  The  Northern  group  of  churches  in  the 
counties  of  Walkerton,  Grey  and  Bruce  probably 
received  their  first  impulses  to  organization  from 
Baptists  moving  from  the  Ottawa  district. 

Characteristics.  The  Baptists  of  this  Western 
district  were  much  the  same  type  as  those  already 
described  in  the  East.  They  were  men  of  strong  con 
victions  and  possessed  of  a  wide  knowledge  of  the 
truth.  They  had  high  ideals  for  the  religious  life 
and  a  stern  sense  of  duty.  They  were  also  men  of 
affairs,  and  took  a  deep  interest  and  an  active  part 
in  all  public  questions.  Their  views  of  the  Christian 
ministry  and  of  the  function  of  the  church  corre 
sponded  closely  to  those  held  by  the  Baptists  of  the 
East.  In  the  matter  of  the  Communion,  they  were 
very  much  divided,  perhaps  about  equally  divided, 


no         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

for  the  first  quarter  of  the  century.  But  the  drift 
was  undoubtedly  towards  strict  communion.  This 
difference  on  the  Communion  question  was  without 
doubt  the  greatest  hindrance  to  union  and  co-operation 
amongst  the  churches  of  the  West,  and  also  did  much 
to  prevent  the  union  of  all  the  Baptist  forces  in  the 
two  Provinces. 

A  careful  consideration  of  all  the  facts  thus  far 
will  show  that  the  work  of  Baptists  in  the  two  Pro 
vinces  for  the  first  25  years  was  very  largely  the  work 
of  scattered  and  isolated  units.  It  is  true  that  in  many 
cases  there  was  a  kind  of  denominational  relationship, 
but  there  was  nothing  like  united  effort  and  absolutely 
no  organic  connection  between  the  different  churches. 

3.  ATTEMPTS  AT  CO-OPERATION  AND  UNIFICATION. 

The  Obstacles  in  the  way  of  a  union  of  churches 
and  co-operation  in  the  extension  of  Baptist  work 
have  been  already  mentioned,  chief  amongst  which 
were  the  communion  question  and  the  independence 
of  the  churches.  These  early  Baptists  were  very  much 
afraid  that  some  organization  outside  of  and  beyond 
the  local  church  would  arrogate  to  itself  the  right  to 
dictate  to  the  churches  composing  such  organization 
in  matters  of  faith  and  practice. 

(1)  Clinton  Conference.  So  far  as  can  be 
ascertained,  the  first  real  attempt  at  a  co-operative 
union  was  made  at  what  was  called  the  Clinton  Con 
ference,  convened  at  Townsend  (Boston)  August  27th, 
1816.  The  Clinton  (Beamsville)  Church  was  repre 
sented  by  three  delegates  and  reported  a  membership 
of  25.  The  Charlotteville  (Vittoria)  Church  sent 


ONTARIO   AND    QUEBEC  in 

three  delegates — membership  not  reported.  The 
Townsend  (Boston)  Church  sent  five  delegates  and 
reported  44  members.  The  Oxford  (Woodstock) 
Church  sent  one  delegate — membership  not  reported. 
The  conference  lasted  three  days.  The  chief  topics 
of  discussion  were  doctrine  and  discipline  and 
missions.  The  outcome  of  the  missionary  discussion 
was  the  formation  of  "  The  Upper  Canada  Domestic 
Missionary  Society,"  for  the  sending  of  the  Gospel 
among  the  destitute  of  this  Province  and  parts  ad 
jacent.  As  there  appear  to  be  no  further  records 
regarding  this  Society,  it  is  probable  that  it  never 
did  any  real  missionary  work. 

(2)  Associations.     The  next  effort  towards  union 
was  the  organization  of  the  Western  Association  at 
Charlotteville,  in  1819,  and  this  was  closely  followed 
in  the  same  year  by  the   formation  of  the  Eastern 
Association  at  Beamsville.    The  Grand  River  Associa-^, 
tion  and  the  Thurlow  Association  soon  followed.    The 
Johnstown  Association  was  formed  in  1827,  and  the 
Ottawa  Association  in  1836.     From  these,  by  division 
and  sub-division,  came  the  sixteen  associations  of  the 
present  day.      (Some  claim  that  the  Thurlow  Asso 
ciation  was  formed  in  1803,  but  there  are  no  records 
to  substantiate  the  claim. — EDITOR.) 

(3)  Missionary    Efforts.      After  the   formation 
and   collapse   of   the   Missionary    Society   mentioned 
above,  there  appears  to  have  been  no  further  attempt 
at  any  larger  union  than  that  of  the  association  until 
about    1833.      And    yet   the    rapid   multiplication    of 
churches,  both  east  and  west,  shows  that  very  much 
real  aggressive  and  missionary  work  was  being  done. 
It  was,  however,  apparently  being  done  on  the  prin- 


ii2         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

ciple    of    individualism,    both  as    to    preachers    and 
churches.    There  was  little  or  no  united  or  organized 
effort.    The  preachers  went  wherever  they  saw  a  need 
»    of  Gospel  services,  and  the  individual  churches  acted 
^'  on  the  same  principle.    "  Each  was  a  law  unto  itself/' 
From  1833  to  J85i,  the  attempts  at  union  in  mission 
ary  effort  became  more  frequent ;  but  each  in  its  turn 
proved  abortive   from  causes  mentioned  in  the  pre 
ceding  pages;   and   yet   each   attempt   marked   some 
advance  upon  previous  efforts,  some  obstacle  removed 
or  some  objectionable  principle  eliminated.     In  trying 
to  follow  the  history  of  these  efforts,  the  similarity 
of  names  is  somewhat  confusing,  but  by  a  little  care 
a  clear  account  may  be  constructed. 

(a)  The  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  of  Upper 
Canada  (1833).  This  convention  was  organized 
by  representatives  from  the  Eastern,  Western  and 
Haldimand  Associations.  The  organization  was 
in  many  respects  very  complete.  The  consti 
tution  provided  for  an  annual  membership  fee  of  $i 
per  year.  It  also  provided  for  the  formation  of  male 
and  female  auxiliary  societies.  Its  field  of  labor  was 
to  be  "  The  destitute  of  this  province."  The  need  of 
a  denominational  paper  or  magazine  was  deeply  felt, 
and  at  the  second  annual  meeting  a  resolution  was 
adopted  to  purchase  a  printing  press  and  publish  a 
religious  paper.  The  Baptists  of  Simcoe  agreed  to 
furnish  a  free  building  for  the  printing  office.  It 
was  found  that  the  press  would  cost  ^400,  of  which 
there  had  been  already  subscribed  £61  us.  6d.  This 
Convention  "  for  want  of  concert  and  energy  soon 
became  extinct."  But  though  the  Society  had 
collapsed,  the  work  which  it  had  projected  and  begun 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  113 

— excepting  the  publication  of  the  paper — was  taken 
up  and  carried  on  by  the  Missionary  Board  of  the 
Eastern  Association.  At  the  annual  meeting,  in  1836, 
the  report  showed  that  $501.03  had  been  collected 
for  Home  Mission  work. 

(b)  The  Upper  Canada  Baptist  Missionary  Society. 
In   1836,  the  Eastern  Association  invited  the  West 
ern     Association     to     another     conference,     and     a 
new   Society   with  the   above   name  and   a  new   and 
simpler  constitution  was  organized.     .The  first  Presi 
dent   was   Rev.   Wm.   Rees,   of   Brantford;   its    first 
Secretaries,  George  J.  Ryerse,  of  Vittoria,  and  Ziba  W. 
Canfield,  of  Waterford,  and  its  first  Treasurer,  Aaron 
Barber,  of  Waterford.     This  convention,  at  its  first 
meeting,  projected  a  college  for  ministerial  education. 
The    chief    promoters    were    Elder    Wm.    Rees    and 
Deacon  Jacob  Beam.     Deacon  Beam  offered  to  give 
a  $5,000  farm  for  the  location  of  the  college  in  Beams- 
ville.    Elder  Rees  was  sent  to  Britain  to  collect  funds 
for  the  proposed  college.    He  found  that  Mr.  Gilmour, 
from  Montreal,  had  just  been  there  collecting  for  a 
similar  institution  in  the  east.    The  Baptists  of  Britain 
strongly  advised  that  the  east  and  the  west  should 
"  combine  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  commendable 
project/' 

(c)  The  Canada  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  1836. 
The   Ottawa   Association   was    formed   in    1836.     At 
its     first     meeting     two    very    momentous    undertak 
ings    were    decided    upon.      The    first    was    that    a 
Society  should  be  organized  for  the  propagation  of  the 
Gospel  in  Canada  and  for  the  establishment  of  a  college 
for  the  training  of  Baptist  ministers. 

It   is   indicative  of   the  spirit   of  the  churches  at 
8 


114         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

that  period  that  the  "  Upper  Canada  Baptist  Mission 
ary  Society  "  of  the  West  and  the  "  Canada  Baptist 
Missionary  Society "  of  the  East  should  have  been 
organized  in  the  same  year,  each  without  any  knowl 
edge  of  the  otherr  and  that  each  at  its  first  meeting 
should  have  projected  college  work,  and  that  each 
should  have  decided  upon  sending  a  deputation  to 
Britain  to  collect  funds  for  so  exactly  similar  pur 
poses,  and  that  the  representatives  of  each  society 
should  have  visited  Britain  the  same  year. 

Appeal  to  English  Baptists.  The  Rev.  Wm.  Rees, 
of  Brantford,  and  Rev.  John  Gilmour,  of  Montreal, 
made  their  appeal  to  the  Baptists  of  England  and  Scot 
land  in  1837,  and  the  result  was  not  only  a  liberal 
contribution,  but  a  society  was  formed  in  London, 
England,  to  be  called  the  "  Baptist  Canadian  Mission 
ary  Society."  The  purpose  of  this  Society  was  simply 
the  collection  of  funds  for  the  propagation  of  Baptist 
work  in  Canada. 

Conditions  of  the  Time.  While  Mr.  Gilmour  was 
in  England,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  the  London  Bap 
tist  Magazine  which  so  accurately  describes  the  con 
ditions  in  Canada  at  the  time  that  a  quotation  is 
advisable.  He  says :  "  The  want  of  religious  instruc 
tion  is  very  great  and  calls  for  prompt  and  increased 
•  exertion.  The  population  of  the  colony  amounts  to 
f  about  one  million,  half  of  whom  are  Roman  Catholics 
using  the  English  language.  They  are  scattered  ovef 
a  country  extending  1,000  miles  in  length  and  300  in 
breadth.  In  the  short  period  of  seven  years,  upward 
of  200,000  people  have  emigrated  from  this  country 
(Britain)  to  Canada;  nor  does  the  spirit  of  emigration 
at  all  abate.  Within  the  space  of  six  weeks  last 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  115 

spring,  not  less  than  17,000  people  from  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland  landed  at  Quebec.  This  constant  increase 
of  population  renders  our  destitution  still  greater  and 
greater.  There  are  whole  townships  containing  from 
1,000  to  3,000  inhabitants  without  regular  Gospel 
ministrations.  The  people  do  not  hear  a  Gospel 
sermon  in  some  places  for  half  a  year,  in  others  for 
a  whole  year,  and  I  know  of  several  places  where 
they  had  been  without  any  religious  service  for  five 
years.  In  the  winter  time,  when  the  snow  is  on  the 
.ground,  the  people  come  30  or  40  miles  to  attend  our 
meetings.  Their  anxiety  about  salvation  becomes  so 
intense  that  we  are  obliged  to  protract  our  services  for 
days,  and  on  such  occaions  we  have  to  preach  three 
or  four  sermons  in  succession." 

(4)  The  Canada   Baptist  Union,   1843.      For 
some  years  a  number  of  leading  Baptists  in  all  the 
Associations  and  in  the  different  Societies  had  been 
feeling  that  in  order  to  meet  the  responsibilities  which 
the  conditions  of  life  and  the  political  movements  of  a 
new  country  were  thrusting  upon  them,  there  ought 
to  be  some  general  organization  which  might  include, 
all  the  Baptists  of  both  Provinces,  both  east  and  west,( 
and  both  open  and  strict  communionists.     They  felt 
that  in  order  to  wield  their  rightful  influence  in  the 
settlement  of  the  great  questions  which  were  before, 
the  country  at  that  time,  such  as  the  Secularization  of  | 
the    Clergy    Reserves    and    the    Rectories,    and    the 
Anglican   Control   of  McGill   College,   Montreal,  and] 
King's  College,  Toronto   (Toronto  University),  they! 
must  so  unify  their  forces  that  they  could  speak  as!' 
one  body  on  these  great  questions. 

In  view  of  this,  a  Convention  was  called  at  Paris, 


n6         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 


in  1843,  an^  the  "  Canada  Baptist  Union  "  was  formed. 
Rev.  J.  Winterbotham,  of  Brantford,  was  appointed 
President,  and  Mr.  David  Buchan,  of  Paris,  Secre 
tary.  Its  constitution  provided  for  a  membership 
composed  of  all  Baptist  Churches  and  Associations. 
It  was  not  missionary.  Its  specified  objects  were  to 
promote  brotherly  love  amongst  Baptists,  to  promote 
unity  of  exertion  in  whatever  would  best  serve  the 
cause  of  Christ  in  general  and  the  Baptist  denomina 
tion  in  particular;  to  gather  statistics  of  the  Baptists 
of  Canada  and  throughout  the  world;  and  to  unify 
and  strengthen  their  influence  in  dealing  with  the  great 
religious  and  political  problems  that  were  before  the 
public  of  that  day.  But  in  some  way  this  Society, 
like  its  predecessors,  did  not  enlist  the  sympathy  of 
the  churches  ;  the  "  East  "  and  the  "  West  "  and  the 
"  open  "  and  the  "  strict  "  were  still  suspicious  of  each 
other.  Moderate  men  like  Fyfe  and  Buchan  and 
/  Cramp  saw  that  before  union  could  be  secured  there 
I  must  be  some  toleration  of  differences.  The  names 
of  the  men  in  attendance  at  the  meeting  of  the  Union 
in  Toronto,  in  1847  —  Cramp,  Fyfe,  Davidson,  Gilmour, 
,  Cleghorn,  Bosworth,  Buchan,  Boyd,  and  others  —  show 
that  the  strong  men  of  the  denomination  were  at  its 
head,  and  yet  the  churches  refused  to  follow. 

(5)  The  Regular  Baptist  Union  of  Canada,  1848. 
Notwithstanding  the  indifference  to  former  efforts 
towards  union,  there  still  existed  everywhere  the 
strong  conviction  that  the  Baptists  of  Canada  would 
not  do  their  best  work  until  there  was  union 
and  co-operation.  When,  therefore,  the  Canada 
Baptist  Union  was  found  to  be  a  failure,  a  Convention 
was  held  at  St.  George,  in  September,  1848,  "  to  effect 


ONTARIO    AND   QUEBEC  117 

a  union  of  the  Regular  Baptists  of  Canada."  The 
Convention  was  called  in  accordance  with  resolutions 
passed  at  the  June  meetings  of  the  Western,  Grand 
River,  Eastern,  Haldimand  and  Johnstown  Associa 
tions.  Delegates  were  present  from  all  these  Associa 
tions,  excepting  Johnstown,  and  for  this  Association 
Robert  Boyd,  who  had  been  appointed  a  delegate  but 
was  unable  to  go,  wrote  a  most  cordial  and  sympathetic 
letter.  The  objects  of  the  new  organization  were  as 
follows :  To  unite  regular  Baptists  into  one  body  for 
the  support  of  missions  and  the  dissemination  of  the 
Word  of  God  at  home  and  abroad;  to  provide  for 
adequate  ministerial  education;  to  develop  Sunday 
school  work;  to  establish  a  depot  of  denominational 
literature;  to  publish  a  weekly  paper  as  a  denomina 
tional  organ;  to  adopt  all  necessary  measures  for  the 
defence  of  religious  liberty  and  the  promotion  of  the 
voluntary  principle  in  religion.  There  was  to  be  a 
doctrinal  test  of  membership.  Every  church  was  to 
be  entitled  to  two  delegates,  and  others  might  be 
arranged  for  on  a  monetary  basis.  The  constitution 
provided  for  executive  committees  on  (i)  Home 
Missions;  (2)  Foreign  Missions;  (3)  Bible  Circula 
tion;  (4)  Sunday  Schools;  (5)  Ministerial  Education; 
(6)  Publications;  (7)  Religious  Liberty.  It  will  be 
readily  seen  that  this  constitution  has  much  in  common 
with  that  under  which  we  are  working  so  happily  at 
the  present  time.  At  the  first  annual  meeting,  in  1849, 
held  in  St.  Catharines,  the  organization  appeared  to  be 
vigorous  and  passed  strong  resolutions  respecting  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  Sunday  school  X 
work,  Foreign  Missions  and  College  Education  for 
Ministers. 


ii8         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

But  even  yet,  notwithstanding  the  many  apparent 

advantages   of   this   new   organization,   many   of   the 

!  churches  held  aloof.    Only  49  out  of  over  200  churches 

'  sent  delegates.     The  Executive  Board  of  the  Union 

made  a  strong  appeal  to  the  churches  for  support,  but 

they  did  not  respond  and  this  attempt,  like  all  the 

previous  ones,  ended  in   failure. 

About  the  same  time  the  Canada  Baptist  Mission 
ary  Society  of  the  East  failed  and  decided  to  dis 
continue  and  the  Canada  Baptist  College  of  Montreal 
collapsed.  It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  the  year 
1850  found  the  Baptists  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada 
without  a  convention  and  without  a  college  and  appar 
ently  almost  hopelessly  divided. 

4.  COLLEGES. 

Failure  of  First  Projects.  Reference  has  already 
been  made  to  the  projected  college  of  the  Upper 
Canada  Baptist  Missionary  Society  and  to  the 
visit  of  Mr.  Rees  to  Great  Britain  in  the  interests  of 
the  proposed  college.  Mr.  Gilmour  had  preceded  him 
by  a  few  months,  and  so  the  Baptists  of  Britain  urged 
the  Western  Baptists  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  the 
Eastern  Baptists  in  the  matter  of  a  college.  This  was 
apparently  the  last  of  the  project. 

(1)  The  Canada  Baptist  College,  1838  to  1849 
Origin.  In  1834,  Rev.  Newton  Bos  worth,  who 
had  settled  near  Toronto,  was  deeply  impressed 
with  the  spiritual  destitution  of  the  people  of  the 
Province  and  decided  to  visit  Montreal  and  also  to 
write  to  friends  in  Britain  in  the  interests  of  mission 
work  in  Canada.  While  in  Montreal,  he  and  Mr. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  119 

Gilmour,  after  much  deliberation,  decided  that  it 
would  be  much  better  to  train  young  men  in  Canada 
for  the  Canadian  ministry  than  to  bring  missionaries 
from  Britain  in  sufficient  numbers  to  supply  the  needy 
and  destitute  places.  This  was  the  idea  which  subse 
quently  matured  into  the  Canada  Baptist  College  of 
Montreal. 

Need.  While  Mr.  Gilmour  was  in  Britain,  in  the 
letter  to  the  London  Baptist  Magazine  referred  to  in 
a  former  section,  he  says  in  reference  to  college  work : 
"Another  helpful  sign  of  the  times  in  Canada  is  the 
num'ber  of  youths  recently  turning  to  God,  many  of 
them  young  men  of  promising  talent,  deep  piety  and 
fervent  zeal,  athirst  for  knowledge,  inured  to  hard 
ship,  and  for  whom  Canada,  with  all  its  difficulties,  has 
its  charms.  Had  a  seminary  been  established  years 
ago,  we  could  have  found  suitable  men  to  enjoy  its 
benefits.  God  has  now  given  us  men,  we  want  the 
institution  and  partial  support.  We  propose  to  edu 
cate  twenty  students  and  to  aid  in  the  support  of  ten 
missionaries,  and  we  need  for  this  work  a  sum  not 
exceeding  £760  per  annum." 

Response.  Mr.  Gilmour  returned  to  Canada  in 
March,  1837,  with  between  £1,500  and  £1,600.  The 
Ottawa  Association  convened  soon  after  his  return 
and,  inspired  by  the  liberality  of  the  English  brethren, 
they  promptly  subscribed  another  £20  to  the  college 
funds.  Mr.  Gilmour  was  requested  to  make  a  tour 
through  the  churches  of  the  Central  and  Western  dis 
tricts  to  enlist  sympathy  and  solicit  support  for  the 
proposed  Baptist  College.  He  visited  the  Johnstown, 
the  Thurlow  and  the  Eastern  Associations.  At  Brock- 
ville  he  was  offered  a  site  for  the  college.  At  Dundas 


120         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

he  learned  for  the  first  time  of  the  proposed  college 
at  Beamsville  and  of  the  visit  of  Mr.  Rees  to  England. 

Location  of  College.  In  spite  of  Mr.  Gilmours 
heroic  efforts,  much  indifference  prevailed  in  refer 
ence  to  the  college  scheme.  But  his  persistency  and 
persuasiveness  at  last  gained  the  day  and  the  college 
was  successfuly  launched  in  1838.  The  question  of 
location  proved  to  be  a  difficult  one.  Montreal,  By- 
town  (Ottawa),  Kingston  and  Toronto  were  all  con 
sidered.  The  British  contributors  favored  Brockville, 
but  the  Canadian  Society  objected  on  the  ground  of 
there  being  no  suitable  building.  It  was  decided  to 
hold  a  conference.  This  was  convened  at  Haldimand, 
and  there  were  present  Rees  (Brantford),  Landon 
(London),  Butler  (Haldimand),  and  Edwards  (Otta 
wa  Association).  No  decision  was  reached  and  the 
conference  advised  that  the  college  should  be  con 
tinued  at  Montreal  for  another  two  years. 

Principalship  of  Dr.  Davies.  In  1838,  Rev.  Ben 
jamin  Davies,  Ph.D.,  from  Leipsic,  was  appointed 
Principal  of  the  college.  He  arrived  in  Montreal  in 
September  and  immediately  took  charge.  The  college 
was  formally  opened  a  few  weeks  later.  Dr.  Davies 
labored  with  the  college  for  six  years.  He  was 
eminent  as  a  scholar  and  capable  as  a  teacher,  and  yet 
the  attendance  of  students  was  disappointingly  small. 
Distrust  and  suspicion  made  it  impossible  to  secure  any 
considerable  support  either  in  money  or  students  from 
the  churches  of  the  west.  Dr.  Davies  therefore 
resigned  and  returned  to  England. 

Principalship  of  Dr.  Cramp.  In  1844,  Dr.  Cramp 
was  chosen  to  succeed  Dr.  Davies  as  principal.  He 
entered  upon  the  work  with  much  energy  and  enthu- 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  121 

siasm.  He  believed  that  they  must  do  their  work  on 
a  large  scale  if  they  were  to  make  it  a  success.  He 
secured  subscriptions  up  to  $3,000  and  then  proceeded 
to  build  a  $30,000  building.  This  proved  to  be  a  mis 
take.  The  college  was  ever  after  burdened  with  debt, 
and  the  number  of  students  appears  at  no  time  to  have 
exceeded  sixteen. 

Failure.  It  seems  evident  that  Davies  and  Cramp 
did  not  manifest  great  wisdom  either  in  the  business 
management  or  in  the  arrangement  of  the  curriculum 
of  studies.  They  undertook  too  much  work  of  a 
scholarly  character  and  did  not  study  to  adapt  their 
teaching  and  training  of  men  for  a  new  and  rapidly 
developing  country.  These  mistakes,  the  great  bur 
den  of  debt,  and,  last  but  by  no  means  least,  the 
financial  depression  which  settled  down  upon  the 
country  in  1848,  all  combined  to  hasten  the  crisis,  and 
the  collapse  came  in  1849.  It  *s  on^Y  Just  to  say,  how 
ever,  that  though  the  Montreal  Baptist  College  was 
short-lived  and  the  attendance  small,  yet  its  work  was 
not  in  vain.  The  college  that  sent  out  such  men  as 
Davidson,  Dempsey,  Anderson,  Slaght,  and  others, 
several  of  whom  may  be  counted  amongst  the  staunch- 
est  Baptists  and  the  most  efficient  workers  that  our 
denomination  has  ever  possessed,  cannot  be  said  to 
have  existed  in  vain. 

(2)  Grande-Ligne  School,  1836.  Within  the  bounds 
of  the  Convention  another  educational  work, 
known  as  the  Grande-Ligne  School,  has  been  and  is 
being  carried  on,  but  as  it  is  not  organically  con 
nected  with  the  Convention,  but  is  under  a  separate 
Board,  and  will  have  a  section  of  its  own  in  this 
book,  it  is  not  necessary  even  to  sketch  its  work  in 
this  place. 


122         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

5.    PERIODICALS. 

(1)  "The  Canada  Baptist  Magazine  and  Mission 
ary    Register"     (1837    to    1849).        The    first    issue 
of  this  magazine  was  published  about  the  time  of  the 
iirst  annual  meeting  of  the  Canada  Baptist  Mission 
ary  Society,  in  1837.    It  was  first  issued  as  a  monthly, 
and  continued  as  such  until  1841,  when  it  was  changed 
to  a  semi-monthly,  and  this  again  to  a  weekly  in  1843. 
It  was  continued  until  1849,  when  the  publisher,  Mr. 
Rollo   Campbell,   found"  himself   facing    a    deficit  of 
nearly  £1,000  and  discontinued  its  publication.    During 
the  greater  part   of   its   existence   it   was   under   the 
editorial  management  of  the  professors  of  the  Mont 
real  College.     Dr.  Davies  and  Dr.  Cramp  were  both 
scholars   and  statesmen.     They  dealt  with  the  great 
issues   that   were  before   the   country,   both   religious 
and  political,  in  a  masterly  way,  and  it  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  their  work  helped  in  no  small  measure 
towards  the  settlement  of  questions  such  as  that  of 
the  Clergy  Reserves,  upon  right  principles. 

(2)  "The    Upper    Canada     Baptist     Missionary 
Magazine"    (1836  to  1838).      The    organ    of   the 
Western  Baptists  was  started  a  year  in  advance  of  the 
Monthly  Register  in  Montreal.     It   was  issued  only 
every  other  month.     The  publisher  was  Mr.  S.  Reid, 
of  Toronto,  and  the  editor  was  Rev.  J.  E.  Maxwell, 
while  the  principal  contributor  was  Rev.  Wm.  Rees, 
of  Brantford.     The  paper  was  ably  edited,  but  had  a 
very  sliort  history.    At  the  Ha-ldimand  Conference,  in 
1838,  called  to  fix  upon  a  location  for  the  proposed 
Baptist  College,  a  resolution  was  passed  recommending 
the  Up -per  Canada  Baptist  Magazine  to  be  merged  into 
the  Canada  Baptist  Magazine  of  Montreal. 


FOUNDATION   LAYERS. 


REV.  W.  ERASER. 
REV.  D.  McPHAiL 


REV.  R.  A.  FYPE. 


REV.  J.  GILMOUR. 
REV.  A.  STEWART. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  123 

(3)  "The  Evangelical  Pioneer."  Some  time  sub 
sequent  to  the  discontinuance  of  the  Upper  Canada 
Baptist  Magazine,  the  Evangelical  Pioneer  was  started 
as  the  organ  of  the  strict  Baptists  of  the  west.  It  was 
ably  edited  by  Rev.  James  IngTTs^  Like  the  two  previ 
ously  named  papers,  it  gave  no  uncertain  sound  in 
regard  to  the  great  public  questions  of  the  day,  but 
it  also  devoted  considerable  attention  to  a  criticism 
of  the  attitude  and  doings  of  the  Eastern  Baptists 
and  the  management  of  the  Canada  Baptist  College. 
Mr.  David  Buchan  was  its  last  editor  and  proprietor. 
Though  it  at  one  time  reached  a  circulation  of  1,400, 
it  never  received  adequate  support  from  the  denomina 
tion.  It  closed  its  career  in  1850.  This  left  the  Bap 
tists  of  the  two  Provinces  without  a  missionary  organ 
ization  of  any  kind,  without  a  college  and  without  a 
denominational  organ,  a  peculiar  and  unexplainable 
and  most  unjustifiable  position  for  a  body  of  people 
who  had  been  growing  as  the  Baptists  had  grown 
during  the  previous  half  century. 

6.  LEADERS  OF  THE  PERIOD. 

It  will  be  readily  understood  that  in  a  brief  history 
such  as  this  is  to  be  only  a  very  slight  reference  can 
be  given  to  each  of  the  leaders  of  the  period.  Viewed 
from  the  vantage-ground  of  two  generations  removed 
from  these  men,  we  are  constrained  to  say  as  we  con 
template  their  heroic  struggles,  their  self-denial,  their 
wonderful  endurance  and  their  apostolic  zeal :  "  There 
were  giants  in  those  days."  And  yet  only  a  few  words 
can  be  given  to  each.  In  order  to  assist  the  memory 
and  to  give  the  men  their  proper  setting,  the  names  of 


124         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

these  leaders  have  been  arranged  into  three  sections, 
according  to  their  principal  fields  of  labor — the  East 
the  Centre,  the  West. 

(1)  The  East.  Rev.  John  Edwards  was  a  Scotch 
man.  He  was  converted  under  the  Haldanes, 
in  Scotland,  came  to  Canada  in  1819,  and  settled  at 
Clarence.  He  was  ordained  in  1831.  He  was  instru 
mental  in  bringing  both  Gilmour  and  Fraser  to  Canada. 

Rev.  John  Gilmour,  also  a  Scotchman,  came  to 
Canada  in  1829.  He  was  a  great  leader  of  men  and  a 
thoroughly  devout  and  consecrated  Christian.  He 
organized  the  First  Church,  in  Montreal,  in  1830,  and 
was  the  chief  promoter  of,  and  for  some  years  one  of 
the  teachers  in,  Montreal  Baptist  College. 

Rev.  William  Fraser,  who  came  from  Scotland 
with  Gilmour,  was  a  giant  in  stature  and  a  man  mighty 
in  the  Scriptures.  He  organized  the  Breadalbane 
Church,  the  first  Baptist  Church  in  the  Ottawa  district. 
He  was  a  powerful  evangelist  and  at  the  same  time 
a  great  controversialist.  He  evangelized  both  in  the 
Ottawa  district  and  in  Bruce  County. 

Rev.  John  Dempsey  was  an  Irishman  by ,  birth. 
Was  reared  a  Presbyterian.  He  was  bitterly  perse 
cuted  when  he  became  a  Baptist.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Montreal  Baptist  College,  and  was  pastor  of  the 
old  St.  Andrews  Church  for  16  years,  baptizing  over 
400  into  its  membership.  He  then  went  west  to  Upper 
Canada,  first  to  Port  Hope  and  afterwards  to  Inger- 
soll  and  other  places. 

Rev.  Duncan  McPhail  was  a  Highland  Scotch- 
man.  He  came  to  Canada  as  a  school  teacher,  but  was 
called  to  preach  to  the  Baptist  Church  at  Chatham 
(Dalesville).  He  received  no  salary  but  gained  a 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  125 

meagre  living  for  himself  and  family  from  a  rocky 
farm.  After  his  death  his  church  work  was  taken  up 
by  his  son. 

Rev.  Daniel  McPhail.  Young  Daniel  was  only 
about  20  years  of  age  when  he  took  up  the  work  of  his 
father  both  on  the  farm  and  in  the  church.  He  was 
sent  to  Madison  Seminary,  in  Hamilton,  N.Y.,  by  a 
Presbyterian  merchant.  After  graduation,  he  was 
pastor  at  Osgoode  for  26  years,  but  spent  much  of  his 
time  in  evangelizing  amongst  all  the  churches  of  the 
east.  He  was  commonly  spoken  of  as  "  The  Elijah 
of  the  Ottawa  Valley."  He  was  possessed  of  a  great 
passion  for  soul-winning,  and  probably  organized  more 
Baptist  churches  and  saw  more  of  his  converts  enter 
the  Christian  ministry  than  any  other  one  man  in 
Canada. 

Rev.  William  Marsh,  a  pastor  in  the  Eastern 
Townships,  organized  the  church  at  Eaton.  He  sub 
sequently  followed  some  of  his  people  to  Central 
Ontario  and  organized  the  Whitby  church. 

Rev.  David  Marsh  was  an  Englishman  who 
came  to  Quebec  City  in  1845  with  the  intention  of 
going  further  west.  He  was  called  to  the  pastorate 
of  the  Quebec  church,  accepted  the  call,  and  remained 
as  pastor  for  38  years.  Mr.  Marsh  was  a  strong 
believer  in  open  communion  and  as  that  was  the  day 
when  nearly  all  the  churches  in  both  Provinces  had 
become  "  close,"  he  never  came  into  intimate  fellow 
ship  with  the  rest  of  the  ministers  and  churches  in 
Canada. 

Rev.  Archibald  Gillies,  who  was  a  Scotchman, 
was  one  of  the  graduates  of  Montreal  College.  He 
became  pastor  of  the  Eaton  Church  in  1842,  and  con 
tinued  to  serve  them  as  pastor  for  38  years  until  1880. 


126         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Rev.  W .  K.  Anderson,  D.D.  Dr.  Anderson  was 
another  Scotchman  who  moved  to  Canada  in  early 
life.  He  was  converted  at  19  and  soon  after  decided 
for  the  ministry.  He  graduated  from  the  Montreal 
College  and  was  probably  one  of  its  last  graduates. 
He  was  a  man  of  culture,  a  perfect  gentleman  and  an 
eminently  successful  pastor.  His  pastorates  were 
Breadalbane  5  years,  Kemptville  and  South  Gower  n 
years,  Breadalbane  again  12  years,  and  Lindsay  14 
years. 

Mr.  Stephen  Tucker.  Amongst  the  leaders » in 
Baptist  work  in  the  Ottawa  Valley,  no  name  is  held  in 
higher  esteem  than  that  of  "  Stephen  Tucker,  the 
Ottawa  Lumberman."  A  liberal  giver  and  an  aggres 
sive  worker,  he  did  much  for  the  propagation  of  Bap 
tist  work  in  his  own  district,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
supported  from  one  to  three  students  in  Woodstock 
College. 

(2)  The  Centre.  Rev.  Reuben  Crandall.  About 
1794,  Mr.  Crandall,  a  young  evangelist,  came 
from  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Hallowell, 
Prince  Edward  County.  As  a  result  of  his  labors, 
churches  were  organized  at  Hallowell's  and  at  Haldi- 
mand,  and  from  these  sprang  the  churches  which 
afterwards  constituted  the  Haldimand  Association. 

Rev.  Samuel  Tapscott.  Mr.  Tapscott  was  an 
Englishman  by  birth  and  education.  He  visited  To 
ronto  in  1837  and  supplied  the  then  pastorless  church 
for  several  months.  He  then  moved  to  Colborne  and 
was  for  nearly  30  years  in  pastoral  work  in  the 
churches  at  Cramahe,  Haldimand  and  other  places. 
For  a  time  he  was  co-pastor  with  his  own  son,  William, 
over  a  large  field  with  Stouffville  as  centre. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  127 

In  this  district  the  names  of  Revs.  Winn,  Winchell 
and  Butler  are  also  remembered  with  great  affection. 
Amongst  the  laymen  of  the  district  the  names  of 
Hinman,  Bigelow  and  Doolittle  stand  out  as  stalwarts 
in  the  struggles  of  those  early  days. 

(3)  The  West.  Rev.  Titus  Finch.  Elder  Finch 
was  an  evangelist  from  the  United  States.  The 
honor  of  being  the  first  Baptist  ordained  in  Canada  is 
claimed  both  for  him  and  for  Abel  Stephens,  who  was 
ordained  at  Harlem  in  March,  1804.  Mr.  Finch  was 
ordained  at  Charlotteville  in  the  same  year,  but  prob 
ably  later  than  March. 

Elder  Simon  Mabee.  and  Elder  Merrill  were 
both  well  known  as  strong  and  aggressive  ministers, 
but  the  records  give  but  few  details  of  their  work. 

Elder  William  McDormand.  The  name  McDor- 
mand  is  still  spoken  with  feelings  akin  to  reverence 
in  the  Lake  Erie  district,  but  very  few  records  have 
been  preserved  of  his  work.  He  was  considered  an 
orator.  He  was  strong  of  body  and  indefatigable  in 
labors.  He  travelled  as  an  evangelist  as  far  west  as 
Windsor  and  as  far  north  as  London  and  Denfield. 
It  is  related  of  him  that  his  ambition  as  an  evangelist 
was  to  baptize  as  many  in  his  lifetime  as  were  baptized 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Before  his  death  his  records 
showed  3,008  baptisms  and  a  goodly  number  of  new 
churches  organized. 

Elder  Shook  McConnell.  This  remarkable  man 
came  from  Nova  Scotia  to  the  Lake  Erie  district.  He 
was  ordained  in  1837.  His  pastorates  were  St.  Thomas 
2  years,  Boston,  9  years,  and  Jubilee  Church  26  years. 
Like  the  other  Lake  Erie  preachers,  he  possessed 
strong  evangelistic  gifts  and  spent  much  of  his  time 


128         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

in  travelling  from  church  to  church  in  special  evangel 
istic  service. 

Elder  Reman  Fitch.  Another  great  evangelist. 
Travelled  from  Niagara  to  Detroit  and  from  Lake 
Erie  to  the  northern  townships.  He  was  pastor  at 
Blenheim  for  18  years.  He  baptized  in  all  between 
1,700  and  i, 800. 

There  were  many  other  names  that  deserve  equally 
honorable  mention,  but  the  records  are  meagre.  Such 
men  were  Elder  Slaght,  a  strong  preacher  and  a 
polished  gentleman;  Elder  John  Harris,  a  remarkable 
soul-winner;  George  J.  Ryerse,  an  able  preacher  and 
a  wise  counsellor;  W.  H.  Landon,  gentle  and  lovable 
but  strong;  J.  Winterbotham,  a  skilful  organizer  and 
the  one  who  brought  the  Woodstock  Church  into  line 
with  the  "  Regulars  " ;  Dr.  James  Cooper,  scholarly 
and  spiritual ;  and  Dr.  Robert  Boyd,  the  saintly  sufferer 
and  author  of  "  The  World's  Hope." 

Amongst  the  leaders  other  than  preachers  must  be 
named:  David  Buchan,  the  greatest  leader  in  the 
Union  movement ;  Deacon  Burtch,  who  mortgaged  his 
farm  to  save  Woodstock  College ;  Rowley  Kilborn,  the 
first  president  of  the  permanent  Missionary  Society; 
Jacob  Beam,  the  deacon  who  offered  a  $5,000  farm  for 
the  College  if  located  at  Beamsville. 

It  is  a  recognized  principle  in  the  history  of  pioneer 
work,  whether  national  or  ecclesiastical,  that  the  his 
tory  of  the  period  is  simply  the  history  of  the  recog 
nized  leaders  of  the  people.  We  have  therefore  given 
this  brief  sketch  of  leaders,  classified  according  to 
districts  in  order  that  the  men  may  be  identified  with 
their  work. 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  129 

But  such  a  sketch  can  give  no  adequate  idea  of  the 
lives  and  work  of  these  men.  They  were  men  of  pro 
found  convictions  of  truth,  men  of  strong  characters 
and  of  deep  piety  and  were  possessed  by  one  purpose. 
Their  wonderful  endurance,  their  willingness  to  suffer 
privation  and  their  indomitable  perseverance  in 
bringing  the  Gospel  to  the  people  of  Canada  stamp 
them  as  heroes  of  the  highest  type. 


CHAPTER  V. 

UNIFICATION— ORGANIZATION— MISSIONS 
(1851  TO  1888). 

i.  UNIFICATION. 

Conditions.  When  the  second  half  of  the  century 
opened,  the  position  of  Baptists  in  Ontario  and  Quebec 
was  'by  no  means  encouraging.  All  the  attempts  at  union 
and  co-operation  had  failed,  and  it  almost  seemed  that 
the  only  principle  that  would  satisfy  Baptist  people 
was  that  every  man  should  be  allowed  to  do  that 
which  was  right  in  his  own  eyes,  and  consequently 
that  anything  like  concerted  effort  was  impossible. 
Perhaps  the  condition  cannot  be  better  described  than  in 
the  words  of  one  of  the  annual  Home  Mission  reports : 
"  Days  were  dark  and  friends  were  few  when  the 
Convention  was  formed  in  Hamilton,  in  October,  1851. 
It  was  a  time  of  darkness,  division  and  contention. 
We  had  no  weekly  Baptist  newspaper.  The  Montreal 
Register  and  the  Evangelical  Pioneer  of  the  West 
were  both  defunct.  We  'had  no  institution  for  the 
education  of  our  young  people  and  the  training  of  our 
rising  ministry:  the  college  in  Montreal  was  closed, 
the  building  sold  and  the  fine  library  scattered.  We 
had  no  Church  Edifice  Society,  no  Superannuated 
Ministers'  Society,  and  no  Home  or  Foreign  Mission 
ary  Society." 

13Q 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  131 

Membership.  The  total  membership  of  the  Bap 
tist  churches  in  1851  has  been  variously  estimated 
at  from  7,000  to  10,000.  The  probability  is  that  it 
was  nearer  the  latter  figure.  Of  this  number,  prob 
ably  over  9,000  were  in  Upper  Canada  and  between 
350  and  400  in  Lower  Canada.  This  membership  was 
included  in  about  150  churches,  and  these  were  organ 
ized  into  seven  associations.  The  total  population  of 
the  two  Provinces  was  1,842,265,  of  which  Upper 
Canada  had  952,004  and  Lower  Canada  890,261. 

(l)  The  Regular  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  of 
Canada  West.  Formation.  Notwithstanding  the 
dark  outlook  at  the  close  of  the  last  period  and  the  ap 
parent  disunion  and  lack  of  harmony  existing  between 
different  sections  of  the  Baptist  body,  there  were  many 
of  the  leaders  who  still  believed  in  the  advantages 
and  in  the  possibility  of  a  lasting  and  effective  co 
operative  union  of  all  the  Baptists  of  the  two  Pro 
vinces.  After  correspondence  and  consultation 
amongst  many  of  the  leaders,  this  feeling  found 
expression  in  a  circular  issued  by  A.  T.  McCord, 
Esq.,  Chamberlain  of  the  City  of  Toronto,  inviting 
the  churches  to  send ,  delegates  to  a  Conference  in 
Hamilton,  in  October,  1851.  The  response  was  very 
encouraging.  The  Conference  assembled  in  a  building 
which  was  then  being  occupied  by  the  John  St.  Bap 
tist  Church  for  its  regular  services.  The  proceedings 
of  the  Conference  are  not  fully  preserved,  but  the 
outcome  was  definite.  The  Regular  Baptist  Mission-' 
ary  Convention  of  Canada  West  was  then  organized; 
and  started  out  upon  its  long  and  successful  career. 
Since  that  time  there  'have  been  minor  changes  in. 
name  and  method,  but  our  present  Baptist  Convention 


i32         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

of   Ontario   and   Quebec  is   substantially  the   same 
society  that  was   organized  in  Hamilton  sixty  years 

ago. 

The  Constitution  of  the  Society  was  very  brief 
and  very  simple,  but  very  comprehensive.  It  was 
also  very  definite  and  yet  elastic  enough  to  allow  the 
Society  to  cover  almost  every  kind  of  work  possible 
for  Baptist  churches  in  our  own  country.  It  was  as 
follows :  "  The  design  of  this  Society  shall  be  to  pro 
mote  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  to  disseminate 
the  Word  of  God  in  the  Province  of  Canada.  In 
order  to  accomplish  this  work  efficiently,  the  Society 
may,  guided  by  the  urgency  of  the  case,  aid  young  men 
in  preparing  for  the  Gospel  ministry ;  and  may  appro 
priate  a  portion  of  its  funds  to  the  payment  of  salaries 
of  suitable  persons  as  colporteurs." 

As  to  its  Composition  the  Constitution  says: 
"  The  Society  shall  be  composed  of  annual  members, 
who  shall  be  in  good  standing  in  our  churches,  and 
who  shall  contribute  one  dollar  per  year  to  the  funds 
of  the  Society." 

It  was  many  years  before  even  this  Society  suc 
ceeded  in  gaining  the  full  confidence  of  all  the 
churches.  But  all  were  so  weary  of  the  long  strife 
and  the  many  futile  attempts  at  co-operation  that  no 
rival  organization  has  since  been  attempted. 

The  First  Officers  of  the  Convention  were  as 
follows:  Mr.  Rowley  Kilborn,  Beamsville,  President; 
Mr.  A.  T.  McCord,  Toronto,  Treasurer;  Rev.  Wm. 
Hewson,  Beamsville,  Recording  Secretary;  Rev.  T.  L. 
Davidson,  D.D.,  General  Secretary. 

The  name  and  the  constitution  of  the  Convention 
Jieft^room  for  it  to  include  in  its  purview  missions 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  133 

of  all  kinds,  but  it  will  be  noted  that  for  a  number  of 
years  after  its  organization  its  work  was  confined 
almost  exclusively  to  the  Home  Mission  work  in  its 
own  constituency. 

Departments.  As  the  Convention  work  enlarged, 
it  was  found  to  be  advisable  to  organize  different 
departments  of  the  work  under  separate  boards,  so 
that  the  Board  of  Missions  might  devote  its  attention 
exclusively  to  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  in  Canada  and 
the  establishment  of  Baptist  churches.  Around  this 
Convention,  therefore,  and  forming  constituent  parts 
of  it,  there  were  gradually  organized  the  Education 
Society,  the  Superannuated  Ministers'  Society,  the 
Publication  Society,  the  Church  Edifice  Society  and 
the  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

(2)  In  1858  "The  Canada  Baptist  Missionary 
Convention  East"  was  formed,  including  most 
of  the  territory  now  covered  by  the  Eastern,  Ottawa, 
and  Canada  Central  Associations.  This  Eastern 
Convention  continued  its  work  as  a  separate  Con 
vention  until  1888,  when  it  was  united  with  the 
Western  Society  into  one  Convention. 

The  French  Regular  Baptist  Missionary  Society, 
organized  in  1863  under  the  auspices  of  the  Baptist 
Convention  East.  The  first  missionaries  of  this 
Society  were  Rev.  N.  Cyr,  a  colporteur  and  a  student. 
Rev.  Wm.  Stewart,  D.D.,  of  Toronto,  and  Mr.  D. 
Bentley,  of  Montreal,  are  the  sole  survivors  of  the 
Directorate  of  this  Society.  Its  second  meeting  was 
held  in  Brantford,  in  1865,  when  Rev.  J.  N.  Williams 
took  the  place  of  Rev.  N.  Cyr,  and  M.  Paumier  was 
engaged  as  colporteur  in  Montreal.  A  thousand  dol 
lars  was  placed  for  its  support,  and  a  Committee,  con- 


i34         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

sisting  of  Doctors  Fyfe,  Caldicott,  Stewart  and  Rev. 
Hoyes  Lloyd,  was  appointed.  This  Society  com 
menced  the  publication  of  a  French  paper  called  Le 
Moniteur,  edited  by  Rev.  J.  N.  Williams.  It  had  a 
fair  circulation  and  did  good  work. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  while  the  Baptists  of  the 
two  Provinces  were  rapidly  enlarging  their  field  of 
operations  they  were  at  the  same  time  unifying  all 
the  departments  of  their  work,  until  at  last  the  year 
1888  saw  all  the  work  of  the  denomination  except  the 
Grande-Ligne  Mission,  under  the  immediate  direction 
and  control  of  the  one  Convention. 

2.     ORGANIZATION. 

The  first  Society  to  be  organized  within  the  Con 
vention  was  the  Education  Society,  but  as  this  will  be 
treated  under  the  section  of  "  Colleges "  it  is  not 
necessary  to  deal  with  it  here. 

(1)   The  Superannuated   Ministers'   Society. 

Formation.  There  had  been  for  some  time  a 
growing  conviction  that  some  provision  should  be 
made  for  the  support  of  age:d  and  infirm  ministers. 
The  small  salaries  paid  made  it  impossible  for 
ministers  in  active  service  to  make  any  adequate  pro 
vision  for  themselves  and  their  families  when  com 
pelled  to  desist  from  the  active  work  of  the  ministry. 
Accordingly,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Convention 
in  London,  in  1864,  after  long  discussion,  a  Society 
was  organized  and  a  constitution  adopted.  This 
constitution  has  remained  substantially  unchanged  up 
to  the  present  time,  but  it  has  since  been  incorporated 
as  a  Board. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  135 

The  First  Officers  were:  President,  Hon.  William 
McMaster,  of  Toronto;  Vice-Presidents,  Stephen 
Tucker,  of  Clarence ;  James  Claxton,  Montreal ;  T.  S. 
Shenstone,  Brantford;  R.  Kilborn,  Beamsville;  E.  V. 
Bodwell,  Ingersoll;  and  D.  D.  Calvin,  Kingston; 
Secretary,  Wm.  Craig,  Port  Hope;  Directors,  Dr. 
Fyfe,  Dr.  Cooper,  Dr.  Caldicott  and  Dr.  Davidson. 

Success.  Shortly  after  the  formation  of  the  Society 
the  directors  decided  to  establish  a  capital  fund 
of  $10,000.  The  canvass  was  prosecuted  so  vigorously 
that  in  July,  1866,  they  were  able  to  report  the  amount 
over-subscribed.  The  first  year's  income,  apart  from 
the  capital  account,  was  $122.  The  Society  paid  its 
first  annuities  in  1867.  In  1868  the  annuities  amounted 
to  $480.  Both  its  capital  account  and  its  income  have 
been  steadily  increasing.  The  annual  report  of  1910 
places  the  amount  invested  and  the  balance  in  the 
bank  at  $28,272.  The  total  income  for  the  same  year 
was  $4,852.13,  and  the  amount  paid  to  27  beneficiaries 
was  $3,731.52. 

(2)  The  Church  Edifice  Society.  Formation  and 
Purpose.  The  Society  was  virtually  born  at  the 
annual  convention  in  Ingersoll,  in  1867.  A  com 
mittee  composed  of  Rev.  Wm.  Stewart,  Rev.  Thos. 
Henderson  and  Mr.  Wm.  Buck  was  appointed.  This 
committee  drafted  a  constitution  which  was  adopted 
by  the  Convention  in  Toronto,  in  1868.  The  first 
annual  report  states  the  purpose  of  the  Society  as 
follows :  "  The  Society  is  designed  to  assist  weak 
churches  to  erect  houses  of  worship,  or  to  free  them 
selves  from  the  encumbrance  of  chapel  debts;  that  it 
owes  its  existence  to  the  prosperity  of  the  Home 
Mission  Society,  and  if  it  be  sustained  with  liberality 


136         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

it  will  prove  an  efficient  auxiliary  to  all  our  benevolent 
institutions." 

The  First  Officers  of  the  Society  were  as  follows: 
President,  Mr.  Alexander  Mackenzie,  M.P.  (after 
wards  Hon.) ;  Solicitor,  Mr.  John  Boyd  (now  Sir 
John  Boyd);  Treasurer,  Wm.  Buck;  Secretary,  Rev. 
Thos.  Henderson. 

The  income  of  the  Society  has  never  been  at  all 
adequate  to  the  needs  and  it  may  justly  be  said  that 
it  has  never  been  taken  seriously  to  heart  by  the 
denomination.  It  has,  however,  been  a  genuine  help 
meet  to  the  Home  Mission  Board,  and  its  timely  help 
has  been  given  to  more  than  one-fifth  of  all  the 
churches  of  the  Convention. 

(3)  The  Foreign  Mission  Society.  Though  the 
history  of  the  Foreign  Mission  work  of  the  Baptist 
Convention  does  not  come  within  the  province  of 
this  sketch,  it  is  impossible  to  trace  the  development 
and  enlargement  of  the  work  of  the  Convention  with 
out  noticing  briefly  the  introduction  of  Foreign 
Missions  as  one  of  the  departments  of  its  regular  work. 

Prior  to  1866  the  only  Foreign  Mission  work  done 
in  the  Convention  was  by  means  of  occasional  visits 
of  agents  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union. 
These  men  visited  many  of  the  churches  in  Canada, 
gave  missionary  addresses  and  made  their  appeals. 
In  most  places  they  met  with  a  hearty  welcome  and  a 
liberal  response.  In  1866,  the  Convention  met  in 
Beamsville.  Dr.  J.  N.  Murdock,  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union, 
was  present  and  gave  a  powerful  and  inspiring 
address.  A  deep  interest  was  aroused  and  steps  were 
at  once  taken  to  organize  a  Canadian  Auxiliary,  of 


ONTARIO   AND    QUEBEC  137 

the  A.B.M.U.  The  Rev.  Wm.  Stewart  was  appointed 
as  the  first  Secretary,  and  Mr.  T.  S.  Shenstone,  of 
Brantford,  as  the  first  Treasurer.  In  October,  1867, 
was  held  the  memorable  Ingersoll  meeting,  at  which 
Rev.  A.  V.  Timpany  was  designated  as  the  repre 
sentative  of  Canadian  Baptists  amongst  the  Telugus. 
Dr.  Murdock,  of  Boston,  gave  the  charge  to  the  candi 
date.  Dr.  T.  L.  Davidson,  the  Secretary  of  the  Home 
Missionary  Society,  gave  to  the  candidate  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship  and  the  pledge  of  support  by  the 
denomination,  and  so  were  joined  in  a  holy  wedlock 
these  two  great  missionary  enterprises.  Rev.  John 
Bates  offered  the  designation  prayer.  It  was  a  never- 
to-be-forgotten  meeting.  And  thus  was  launched, 
under  the  auspices  of  a  Home  Missionary  Convention, 
the  splendid  ship  of  Canadian  Foreign  Missions,  and 
thus  was  established  the  relation  that  must  always 
exist  between  these  two  great  enterprises — that  is  the 
relation  of  foundation  and  superstructure. 

This  is  not  the  place  to  follow  the  history  of  this 
work.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  1869  Rev.  John  Mc- 
Laurin  (now  Dr.  McLaurin)  followed  Mr.  Timpany. 
In  1873,  however,  with  the  cordial  consent  of  the 
American  Union,  the  "  Canadian  Auxiliary "  was 
changed  into  an  independent  Canadian  Foreign  Mis 
sionary  Society.  Mr.  McLaurin  resigned  his  con 
nection  with  the  A.B.M.U.  and  removed  to  Cocanada 
as  the  first  missionary  of  the  newly-formed  Society. 
As  we  think  of  these  small  beginnings  and  compare 
them  with  the  work  reported  by  the  Foreign  Mission 
Board  of  our  Convention  in  1910,  we  are  surely  war 
ranted  in  saying,  "  The  little  one  has  become  a  thou 
sand  and  the  small  one  a  strong  nation."  In  1866  one 


i38        THE  BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

missionary  and  his  wife.  In  1910  (including  the  wives 
of  the  missionaries),  53  missionaries  from  Canada 
and  345  native  workers.  Two  mission  fields — India 
and  Bolivia — and  an  income  of  $62,724.44. 

(4)  Women's  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
of  Ontario  West.    On     Mr.     Timpany's     return     to 
Canada     from    India    he    brought    to    the    Women 
of  Ontario  a  message  respecting  the  women  of  India. 
As  a  result  of  his  message  the  above  named  Society 
was  organized  in  October,  1876.     At  the  first  annual 
meeting,  23  Circles  had  sent  in  offerings.     The  first 
year's  income  was  $654.07  from  23  Circles.    The  total 
income  for  1910,  after  34  years'  work,  was  $14,320.52 
from  253  Circles  and  132  Bands  and  other  sources 
of  income. 

(5)  The    Women's    Foreign    Missionary    Society 
East    was  formed  in  the  same  year  as  the  Western 
and  had  a  similar  growth.     The  first  year's  income 
was  $434.37.     For  1910  the  income  from  all  sources 
was  $3215.08. 

(6)  Women's  Home  Missionary  Society   West. 
At  the  annual  Convention  of  the  Women's  Foreign 
Mission   Society  West,   in    1884,   held   in  Jarvis   St. 
Church,  Toronto,  ten   circles   reported  having  taken 
offerings  for  Home  Missions  as  well  as  for  Foreign. 
The  fire  was  kindled  and  it  burned  more  and  more 
brightly  until,  in  December  of  the  same  year,  37  dele 
gates,   representing    18   churches,   met   in   Jarvis    St. 
Church  and  organized  the  Women's   Baptist   Home 
Mission    Society   of   Ontario.       A   constitution   was 
drawn  up  and  officers  elected.     The  first  officers  were : 
President,   Mrs.   A.   R.    McMaster;   Vice-President, 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  139 

Mrs.  Humphreys;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Alexander;  Cor 
responding  Secretary,  Mrs.  A.  H.  Newman;  and 
Recording  Secretary,  Miss  Alexander. 

The  total  receipts  for  the  first  year  were  $1,364.22. 
The  receipts  for  1910  from  all  sources  were  $8,779.72. 
In  1894,  Mrs.  McMaster  resigned  the  presidency,  and 
Mrs.  C.  J.  Holman  was  elected  in  her  place  and  has 
ever  since  filled  the  position  with  marked  ability. 

(7)  The  Women's  Home   Missionary   Society 
East    was  organized  in  Ottawa,  in  1889.    The  officers 
elected  were:   President,   Mrs.   G.   W.   Avery;  Vice- 
President,  Mrs.  A.  B.  Hudson ;  Second  Vice-President, 
Mrs.  M.  P.  Mcllhinney ;  Recording  and  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Parson;  and  Treasurer,  Mrs.  J. 
D.  McLean. 

The  receipts  of  the  Society  for  1910  were  $1,958.88. 

(8)  The  Publication  Society.      Prior  to  1882,  the 
Canadian  Baptist  and  the  Book  Room  had  been  carried 
on   partly  as   a  private  enterprise   and  partly   under 
denominational   auspices.     In    1882,   Hon.   Wm.   Mc 
Master  gave  $40,000  to  the  Society  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  the  work   upon   a   denominational  basis. 
"  The   Standard  Publishing  Company "   was   formed, 
the  Canadian  Baptist  was  purchased  and  the  Book 
Room  put  upon  a  better  footing,  and  all  placed  under 
the  immediate  control  of  the  Convention.    The  profits 
of  the  business,  if  any  (inclusive  of  both  the  Baptist 
and  the  Book  Room),  were  to  be  divided  amongst 
several    of   the    Missionary    Societies.     The   business 
management  of  both  the  Baptist  and  the  Book  Room 
was  entrusted  first  to  Rev.  George  Richardson,  then 
to  Mr.  George  R.  Roberts,  and  subsequently,  in  1904, 
to  Mr.  R.  D.  Warren.    The  value  of  the  Book  Room 


140         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

to  the  denomination  cannot  be  measured  by  the  amount 
of  profit  or  loss  that  it  may  yield.  Its  usefulness  as 
a  base  of  supplies  for  all  denominational  literature,  as 
a  bureau  of  information  and  as  a  headquarters  or 
rendezvous  for  Baptists  from  all  parts  of  the  Con 
vention  when  they  visit  Toronto  is  everywhere  recog 
nized  and  appreciated. 

3.  COLLEGES. 

(1)  The  Maclay  College.  At  the  first  annual  meet 
ing  of  the  Regular  Baptist  Missionary  Convention, 
in  1852,  a  committee  was  appointed  on  Education.  The 
committee  reported  at  the  same  meeting  recommending 
( i )  that  the  denomination  should  aid  young  men  who 
were  looking  towards  the  Gospel  ministry  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  advantages  offered  by  Toronto  Uni 
versity  for  a  liberal  education;  and  (2)  that  as  this 
embraces  only  a  literary  education,  the  Convention 
should  proceed  at  once  to  procure  an  endowment  for 
a  theological  institution.  They  recommend  that  an 
attempt  should  be  made  to  raise  £10,000,  but  that  no 
subscriptions  should  be  collected  until  at  least  £5,000 
should  be  subscribed.  Dr.  Maclay  was  appointed  for 
the  canvass  and  immediately  entered  upon  the  work. 
He  was  successful  beyond  expectation  and  very  soon 
reported  a  subscription  list  of  £5,922  qs.  Sd.  A  notable 
name  on  this  list  was  that  of  Rev.  John  Gilmour,  for 
£100.  His  great  heart  was  so  deeply  set  on  having 
adequate  provision  made  for  the  training  of  young 
men  for  the  ministry  that  he  forgot  the  old  grievances 
and  gave  of  his  sympathy  and  his  substance  to  aid 
the  new  project. 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  141 

It  was  decided  to  start  the  college  at  once  and  that 
it  should  be  called  "  Maclay  College."  Dr.  Maclay 
himself  was  appointed  first  principal  and  also  pro 
fessor  of  theology.  All  seemed  to  be  going  well,  when 
suddenly  misunderstandings  arose  and  disappoint 
ments  followed  each  other  in  quick  succession  until  at 
last  Dr.  Maclay  resigned  and  the  whole  project 
collapsed.  At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Convention, 
in  1856,  in  Brantford,  the  committee  was  ordered  to 
return  all  paid-up  subscriptions  to  the  subscribers. 

(2)  The  Canadian  Literary  Institute.  Prior  to 
the  winding  up  of  the  affairs  of  the  Maclay  College, 
all  plans  for  a  Baptist  College,  either  in  the  East  or 
the  West,  looked  only  towards  a  theological  institution 
for  the  training  of  young  men  for  the  ministry.  This 
was  owing  to  the  conviction  held  by  many  Baptists 
that  Christians  as  such  should  have  nothing  to  do  with 
providing  for  the  secular  education  of  their  children. 
That  was  a  responsibility  which  rested  solely  with  the  - 
civil  authorities. 

The  Education  Society  did  not  dissolve  after  the 
failure  of  Dr.  Maclay's  scheme,  but  immediately  re 
organized  with  its  newest  member,  Rev.  R.  A.  Fyfe, 
as  President.  No  one  at  that  time  could  have  had 
any  conception  of  the  new  force  that  'had  entered  into 
the  educational  work  of  the  denomination  when  Dr. 
Fyfe  became  a  member  and  the  President  of  the  Edu 
cation  Society. 

In  December,  1855,  there  appeared  in  The  Christian 
Messenger,  the  organ  of  the  Baptist  denomination  at 
that  time,  a  remarkable  letter  headed  "  A  Proposal  " 
and  signed  "  F."  The  writer  of  the  letter,  flying  directly 
in  the  face  of  the  convictions  above  mentioned,  pro- 


142         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

posed  that  a  college  should  be  started  under  denomina 
tional  auspices  that  should  provide  facilities  for  an 
advanced  literary  education  under  distinctly  Christian 
influences.  It  was  soon  discovered  that  "  F."  was  Dr. 
Fyfe,  the  President  of  the  Education  Society.  His 
proposition  was  submitted  to  Dr.  Wayland,  the  dis 
tinguished  educationist,  and  received  his  heartiest 
endorsation. 

The  leaven  was  working,  and  at  last,  in  March, 
1857,  an  important  meeting  of  the  subscribers  was 
held  at  Woodstock,  which  had  already  been  decided 
upon  as  the  location  of  the  new  college,  and  the  name 
"  The  Canadian  Literary  Institute "  was  chosen  for 
the  new  institution.  About  this  time  a  serious  financial 
depression  settled  down  upon  the  country  and  the 
strain  became  very  severe,  both  for  Dr.  Fyfe  and 
those  associated  with  him  in  the  new  project.  It  was 
at  this  time  that  Deacon  Archibald  Burtch  mortgaged 
his  farm  to  raise  money  so  that  the  work  should  not 
be  hindered. 

The  college  was  opened  in  July,  1860,  with  40 
students  in  attendance  and  Dr.  Fyfe  as  principal.  The 
second  term  opened  in  September  following,  with  79 
students  enrolled.  On  January  8th  following,  the 
building  was  completely  destroyed  by  fire.  This  was 
a  severe  blow  at  the  time,  but  like  many  other  seeming 
calamities  it  proved  to  be  a  blessing  in  disguise.  Hon. 
*  Wm.  McMaster  immediately  offered  $4,000  towards  a 
new  building.  A  new  canvass  was  at  once  entered 
upon  and  in  fourteen  weeks  $21,600  was  pledged. 
The  new  building  was  completed  in  the  summer  of 
1862  and  the  college  was  reopened  in  the  fall.  Under 
Dr.  Fyfe's  regime  the  college  so  prospered  that  in 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  143 

addition  to  the  academic  department  there  was  a  full  [ 
course  in  theology  and  the  first  two  years  of  the  arts 
course  of  the  University  of  Toronto  were  covered. 

Space  forbids  entering  into  the  details  of  the  work 
of  the  college  for  the  next  16  years,  or  until  the  death 
of  Dr.  Fyfe,  in  1878.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  the 
opening  of  the  Canadian  Literary  Institute  at  Wood- 
stock  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  in  the  life  and 
work  of  Canadian  Baptists.  It  was  a  tower  of  strength 
to  all  the  branches  of  the  denominational  life.  The 
men  who  received  their  training  within  its  walls  have 
been  the  stalwarts  of  the  denomination,  not  only  in 
the  ministerial  line  but  in  all  lines  of  business  and 
professional  life. 

(3)  Toronto  Baptist  College.  For  some  time  1 
before  Dr.  Fyfe's  death  there  had  been  an  agitation  ; 
for  the  removal  of  the  theological  department  to 
Toronto,  as  being  more  central  than  Woodstock  and 
better  suited  for  the  work  it  was  expected  to  do.  After 
his  death  the  movement  gained  strength  and  at  last 
culminated  in  a  decision  to  carry  the  proposed  change 
into  effect,  the  literary  departments  being  continued  at 
Woodstock,  both  for  men  and  women,  in  affiliation 
with  Toronto  University.  This  decision  was  made 
more  feasible  and  perhaps  hastened  by  the  purchase 
of  a  site  and  the  erection  of  a  building  (the  present 
McMaster  Hall)  by  Hon.  Wm.  McMaster,  at  his  own 
expense.  The  new  school  received  its  charter  as 
"  Toronto  Baptist  College,"  and  Dr.  John  H.  Castle 
was  appointed  as  the  first  principal.  The  Rev.  N. 
Wolverton,  B.A.,  was  appointed  principal  of  the 
Institute  at  Woodstock,  the  name  of  which  was  shortly 
afterwards  changed  to  Woodstock  College. 


144         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

(4)  McMaster  University.     As  the  work  of  the 
Toronto    Baptist    College    proceeded,    it    was    found 
necessary  to  negotiate  with  Toronto  University   for 
some  kind  of  a  federation  by  which  the  College  might 
be  permitted  to  do  certain  parts  of  the  arts  work, 
and  that  certain  theological  studies  might  be  allowed 
as    options    in    an    arts    course    by    the    University. 
The  negotiations  did  not  make  satisfactory  progress, 
and  it  became  more  and  more  evident  that  the  only 
solution  of  the  Baptist  educational  problem  was  the 
establishment  of  a  college  in  Toronto  with  full  Uni 
versity  powers.     The  change  was  ultimately  accom 
plished,  and  Toronto  Baptist  College  and  Woodstock 
College  were  united  under  the   name  of   McMaster 
University,  with    the    full    powers  which  had  been 
sought. 

The  difficult  question  of  the  location  of  the  Arts 
Department  yet  remained  to  be  settled.  This  was 
done  at  the  famous  Guelph  Convention,  of  1888,  at 
which  there  were  over  600  delegates  present.  The 
decision  was  in  favor  of  Toronto.  This  was  accepted 
by  the  Board  of  Governors  as  a  mandate  to  move  for 
ward  at  once  in  the  direction  of  the  Arts  College. 

(5)  Moulton  Ladies'   College.     This    was    soon 
followed  by  the  closing  of  the  co-educational  work  at 
Woodstock    and    the    opening    of    Moulton    Ladies' 
College,  in  Toronto,    with    the    widow    of    the    late 
Senator  McMaster  as  its  founder  and  patroness. 

The  Arts  Department  of  McMaster  University 
was  opened  in  1890,  and  from  that  date  onward  the 
history  of  both  Woodstock  College  and  Moulton 
Ladies'  College  has  been  bound  up  with  that  of 
McMaster  University,  of  which  each  is  an  academic 
department. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  145 

4.  PERIODICALS. 

(1)  The  "Christian  Messenger".     For    a    short 
period  after  the  Montreal  Register  and  the  Evangelical 
Pioneer  had  ceased  publication  there  was  no  paper  or 
magazine  either  in  the  East  or  the  West  to  record  the 
doings   of   the   churches   or   to  voice   the   convictions 
of  Baptists  upon  the  public  questions  of  the  day.     In 
1834,  Mr.  George  Winter,  of  the  town  of  Brantford, 
purchased  a  plant  and  began  the  issuance  of  a  weekly 
Baptist  paper  with  himself  as  editor  and  Mr.  R.  W. 
Sawtell,   his   son-in-law,   as   business  manager.     The 
paper  was  to  be  known  as  the  Christian  Messenger. 
When  Rev.  T.  L.  Davidson,  another  son-in-law,  went 
to  Brantford  as  pastor,  he  was  also  appointed  editor 
of  the  Messenger.     His  editorial  work  was  racy,  pun 
gent  and  strongly  denominational. 

(2)  The  "  Canadian  Baptist."    He  was  followed  as 
editor  by  Elder  Winterbotham,  a  vigorous  and  original 
writer   and   thinker.     While   under   his   management, 
Rev.  R.  A.  Fyfe,  then  a  pastor  in  Toronto,  negotiated 
for  and  ultimately  purchased  the  paper.     He  removed 
it  to  Toronto  and  changed  the  name  from  Christian 
Messenger    to    Canadian    Baptist.      When    Dr.    Fyfe 
was  called  to  Woodstock  College,  Rev.  Hoyes  Lloyd 
was  appointed  editor.     Under  his  editorship  the  Bap 
tist  became  an  excellent   family  religious  newspaper, 
a  character  it  has  maintained  ever  since.     The  next 
editors  and  proprietors  were  Rev.  Wm.  Muir  and  Rev. 
Wm.   Stewart.     Strong  editorial   work  characterized 
their  incumbency,  and  the  paper  grew  rapidly  in  popu 
larity  and  in  circulation. 

The  next  move  was  the  formation  of  a  company, 
10 


146         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

known  as  "  The  Standard  Publishing  Company,"  and 
the  purchase  of  the  plant  and  goodwill  of  the 
Canadian  Baptist.  Rev.  S.  A.  Dyke  was  appointed 
Manager,  and  was  successful  in  establishing  The  Bap 
tist  upon  a  stable  basis.  The  first  editor  under  the  new 
management  was  Rev.  E.  W.  Dadson.  His  writing, 
like  his  preaching,  was  vigorous,  evangelical  and 
strongly  denominational.  When  he  was  called  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Woodstock,  Dr. 
J.  E.  Wells  was  appointed  editor.  Under  him  the 
Baptist  reached  a  very  high  standard  of  literary  excel 
lence.  His  denunciations  of  injustice  and  oppression 
and  his  advocacy  of  "  equal  rights  "  and  "  liberty  of 
conscience  "  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  had 
the  privilege  of  reading  the  Baptist  at  that  time. 

At  his  death,  Mr.  George  R.  Roberts  was  appointed 
managing  editor,  and  associated  with  him  was  a  strong 
staff  of  editorial  contributors.  Upon  Mr.  Roberts' 
resignation,  Rev.  W.  J.  McKay,  B.A.,  LL.D.,  was 
appointed  editor  and  Mr.  R.  D.  Warren  business 
manager  of  the  Canadian  Baptist  and  Book  Room. 
Under  their  management  the  Baptist  and  the  Book 
Room  have  reached  a  very  high  degree  of  efficiency. 
The  Canadian  Baptist  is  a  most  excellent  family  reli 
gious  paper  and,  in  the  line  of  literature,  undoubtedly 
the  strongest  missionary  agency  in  the  Convention. 

The  only  other  publications  have  'been  entirely  mis 
sionary  in  their  character. 

(3)  "  The  Canadian  Missionary  Link."  the  organ 
of  the  Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Societies,  East 
and  West,  was  established  in  1878.  The  editors  have 
been  Mrs.  Freeland,  Mrs.  A.  H.  Newman,  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Porter  and  Miss  Jacqueline  M.  Norton. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  147 

(4)  "The  Baptist  Visitor,"    organ  of  the  Women's 
Home    Missionary    Societies,    East    and    West,    was 
started  in   1890.     Mrs.  A.  R.  McMaster,  the  editor 
then  appointed,  has  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity 
to  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  all. 

Both  these  have  done  much  to  arouse  and  maintain 
interest  in  the  Missionary  enterprises  of  the  Con 
vention. 

(5)  "Bulletin."     In  1905  the  Home    and   Foreign 
Mission  Bulletin  was  started  by  Revs.  J.  G.  Brown 
and  W.  E.  Norton.     It  was  sent  out  for  free  distri 
bution  in  the  churches.     It  has  done  much  to  make 
missionary     information     more     general     and     more 
thorough. 

5.  PROGRESS  OF  CHURCHES. 

Conditions  in  Churches.  Though  the  opening  of 
the  period  1851-1888,  now  under  discussion,  was 
gloomy  and  discouraging  so  far  as  unity  and  co 
operation  were  concerned,  the  conditions  prevailing 
among  the  individual  churches  were  not  nearly  so  un 
favorable.  Many  of  them  were  manifesting  a  strong, 
vigorous  and  aggressive  life,  and  without  any  central 
directing  organization,  such  as  a  Home  Mission  Board, 
were  pushing  their  work  out  into  the  unoccupied 
territory  adjacent  to  them.  When,  therefore,  the 
Regular  Baptist  Missionary  Convention  of  Canada 
West  was  organized  in  1851,  it  found  conditions  ripe 
for  a  forward  movement  along  missionary  lines.  This 
Society,  which  at  the  time  of  its  formation  was  a 
purely  Home  Missionary  Society,  became  not  only  the 
fruitful  mother  of  Baptist  churches,  but  may  fairly 


i48         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

be  said  to  be  the  mother  of  all  the  rest  of  our  denomi 
national  enterprises,  including  not  only  our  Home 
organizations  of  various  kinds  but  also  that  of  Foreign 
Missions. 

Methods.  As  stated  in  another  section,  the  Bap 
tists  of  the  two  Provinces  numbered  probably  between 
9,000  and  10,000  members,  and  were  probably  included 
in  about  150  churches,  and  these  grouped  into  seven 
associations.  The  work  of  the  Convention  was  to  be 
carried  on  by  means  of  an  annual  gathering,  and 
regular  quarterly  meetings  of  the  Home  Mission 
Board  for  the  management  of  business  details.  The 
work  of  keeping  the  mission  cause  before  the 
churches  and  of  collecting  missionary  funds  was  to 
be  carried  on  by  a  system  of  platform  missionary 
meetings,  to  be  conducted  by  pastors  chosen  by  the 
Mission  Boards.  These  old-time  missionary  meetings 
were  very  attractive  to  the  churches  of  the  day.  The 
speakers  appointed  to  this  work  provided  themselves 
with  a  fund  of  missionary  incident  and  anecdote,  and 
sometimes  humor,  that  made  the  annual  missionary 
meeting  of  a  church  one  of  the  most  attractive 
meetings  of  the  year.  Through  these  meetings,  such 
men  as  Dr.  Davidson  exerted  a  profound  influence 
on  the  life  and  work  of  the  denomination. 

(1)  1851—1861.  Progress  in  West.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  no  records  of  the  earliest  years  of  the 
work  of  the  Canadian  Baptist  Missionary  Society  have 
been  preserved.  It  is  known  that  the  direct  mission 
work  of  the  Society  began  with  three  mission 
aries  and  that  the  work  enlarged  until,  in  1858,  the 
annual  report  showed  n  missionaries  employed  and 
that  these  1 1  men  supplied  50  preaching  stations,  The 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  149 

total  membership  of  the  Home  Mission  churches  at 
that  date  was  643  and  the  amount  contributed  by  the 
churches  of  the  Convention  towards  their  support 
was  $1,476,  while  the  average  salary  of  the  Home 
Mission  pastors  for  that  year  was  $250.  The  number 
of  baptisms  reported  for  the  year  was  in.  During 
the  same  year  the  number  of  baptisms  reported  by  all 
the  churches  of  the  Convention  was  1,384,  and  the 
total  membership  of  the  churches  was  reported  at 
11,733.  The  Convention  now  comprised  eight  associa 
tions,  viz. :  Amherstburg,  Western,  Grand  River  South, 
Grand  River  North,  Niagara,  Haldimand,  Ottawa  and 
Johnstown. 

Progress  in  Bast.  The  Canada  Baptist  Mission 
ary  Convention  East  was  organized  in  the  same 
year,  1858.  Its  purpose,  as  stated  in  its  constitution, 
was  "  to  promote  the  Gospel  in  Central  and  Eastern 
Canada,  i.e.,  east  of  a  line  drawn  due  north  from 
Kingston,  by  employing  evangelists,  aiding  feeble 
churches,  circulating  religious  publications  and  by 
other  suitable  means."  In  the  first  year  of  its  work 
it  employed  one  missionary.  The  names  of  the  first 
officers  are  not  given,  but  in  1860  the  offices  were  filled 
by  such  well-known  men  as  Stephen  Tucker,  Presi 
dent  ;  Wm.  Muir,  Treasurer ;  and  Rev.  John  Goadsby 
and  Rev.  John  Dempsey  as  Secretaries. 

Summary.  From  this  time  forward  the  constitu 
ency  is  so  large  and  the  growth  so  rapid  that  it  will 
be  impossible  to  give  statistics  of  progress  from  year 
to  year.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  give  statistics  reported 
at  different  dates  in  the  period.  In  1862,  the  tenth 
report  after  the  organization  of  the  Western  Con 
vention  and  the  fourth  report  of  the  Eastern,  the  total 


150        THE   BAPTISTS   OE   CANADA 

membership  of  the  churches  had  increased  from 
between  9,000  and  10,000  to  something  over  13,000,  an 
increase  of  perhaps  35  per  cent.  In  the  same  year  the 
number  of  pastors  employed  by  the  Home  Mission 
Board  of  the  Western  Convention  had  increased  from 
n  in  1858  to  25,  and  those  of  the  Eastern  Convention 
from  one  in  1858  to  six.  The  membership  in  the 
Home  Mission  churches  had  increased  to  1,403  and 
252  respectively.  .The  Western  Board  reported  95 
baptisms  and  the  Eastern  35.  The  incomes  were 
$2,457  and  $572  respectively. 

Significance  of  these  Statistics.  Such  figures  as 
the  foregoing,  if  passed  over  thoughtlessly,  will  mean 
very  little  to  the  student.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  the  churches  were  separated  by  long  distances 
and  the  people  were  poor.  The  meeting  houses  were 
in  most  cases  log  buildings  and  in  many  places  only 
log  school  houses.  The  roads  were  mostly  in  an 
unmade  condition  and  horses  were  few  and  hard  to 
get.  Many  of  the  appointments  had  to  be  reached 
by  traversing  forests  and  swamps,  and  the  remunera 
tion  for  the  work  these  conditions  involved  was 
usually  $200  to  $300  and  an  annual  "  donation."  This 
"  donation  "  means  that  once  a  year  the  members  of 
the  churches  would  gather  at  the  home  of  the  pastor, 
bringing  with  them  contributions  of  everything  a 
pastor  and  his  family  and  his  horse  (if  he  owned  one) 
were  supposed  to  need.  If  these  conditions  are 
remembered,  the  real  significance  of  statistics  will 
become  clearer  and  the  genuine  self-sacrifice  and 
heroism  of  the  men  who  pastored  the  Home  Mission 
churches  of  those  days  will  become  more  apparent. 

(2)  1861—1871.        Progress.     The  next  ten  years 
present  a  record  of  steady  progress  amongst  churches 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  151 

already  established  and  a  good  record  in  the  establish 
ment  of  new  churches.  It  may  seem  like  "  the  day  of 
small  things  "  when  it  is  told  that  six  new  churches 
were  organized  in  one  year ;  but  when  in  1872  the  Home 
Mission  Board  reports  that  60  churches  have  been 
organized  and  started  out  upon  their  career  of  evangeli 
zation,  character-building  and  general  missionary 
endeavor,  a  better  conception  is  obtained  of  the  scope 
and  character  of  the  work  of  the  Home  Mission  Board. 
And  when  it  is  further  known  that  among  those  new 
churches  are  to  be  found  such  names  as  Alexander 
Street,  Toronto  (now  Immanuel),  Lindsay,  Strath- 
roy,  Chatham,  Brantford  (Park  Church),  St.  Cathar 
ines  Street,  Montreal  (since  united  with  the  First 
Church),  Arnprior,  Sparta,  Ailsa  Craig,  Sarnia, 
Ormond,  Paisley,  Parliament  St.,  Toronto,  Wing- 
ham,  Claremont  and  Whitby,  all  now  self-supporting 
churches  and  large  contributors  towards  all  our 
denominational  enterprises,  the  far-reaching  influence 
of  the  Home  Mission  work  of  the  Convention  will  be 
still  better  understood. 

At  the  Convention  of  1872,  the  Board  reported  38 
missionaries,  113  churches  or  preaching  stations,  2,100 
members,  174  baptisms  and  an  income  of  $5,901. 

For  the  same  period  the  Eastern  Convention 
reported  14  missionaries,  16  churches,  38  baptisms, 
618  members  and  an  income  of  $2,331. 

Of  the  special  events  of  the  period,  the  most 
prominent  are  the  beginning  of  mission  work  by  the 
Convention  in  India  and  in  our  Canadian  North-west. 
The  circumstances  under  which  the  Convention  began 
its  Foreign  Mission  work  have  already  been  dealt 
with  (page  136).  The  North-west  work  was  begun 


i52         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

by  the  Home  Mission  Board  sending  Rev.  T.  L.  David 
son  and  Rev.  Thos.  Baldwin  on  a  journey  of  mission 
ary  exploration  to  the  then 'unknown  West.  It  is 
difficult  at  the  present  time  when  we  can  travel  in 
palace  cars  from  Toronto  to  Winnipeg  in  about  36 
to  40  hours  to  understand  that  journey  of  nearly  two 
weeks,  involving  many  days  travelling  by  mule-team 
and  on  foot  and  camping  in  tents  at  night  in  real 
primitive  fashion.  Out  of  this  explorative  expedition 
grew  our  North-west  work,  which  has  developed  to 
such  magnificent  proportions. 

The  beginning  of  these  two  great  missionary  enter 
prises  under  the  direct  auspices  of  a  Home  Missionary 
Convention,  is  the  best  possible  illustration  of  the 
way  in  which  all  departments  of  our  work  are  rooted 
in  and  dependent  upon  our  Home  Mission  work. 

Summary.  The  total  number  of  baptisms  in  all 
the  churches  during  this  decade  was  about  3,000,  and 
the  membership  at  the  close  was  about  16,600.  Three 
new  Associations  had  been  formed,  the  Middlesex  and 
Lambton,  the  Huron  and  the  Canada  Central,  thus 
bringing  the  number  of  Associations  up  to  eleven. 

(3)  1871—1881.  The  next  ten-years  period  is 
remarkable  chiefly  for  the  wonderful  growth  of  the 
churches  at  home,  the  rapid  development  of  the  for 
eign  work  and  the  sending  of  Rev.  Alexander  McDon 
ald  as  our  pioneer  missionary  to  the  North-west. 

Remarkable  Blessing.  The  Home  Mission  report 
for  the  year  1875  begins  as  follows:  "The  past  year 
will  be  memorable  in  the  annals  of  the  Baptist  denomi 
nation  in  Ontario  as  a  year  of  the  right-hand  of  the 
Most  High.  Never  before,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of 
our  churches  has  there  been  such  an  extensive  and 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  153 

remarkable  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  Two 
thousand  six  hundred  and  sixty-eight  baptisms  are 
reported  for  the  year.  In  1876  the  number  of  bap 
tisms  reported  was  2,391 ;  in  1877,  2,430;  and  in  1878, 
2,360.  The  total  membership  of  the  churches  in  the 
two  Conventions  increased  in  the  ten  years  from 
16,600  to  over  28,000,  or  a  gain  for  the  period  of  about 
75  per  cent. 

Churches  Organized.  More  than  one  hundred 
churches  were  organized,  and  among  them  were, 
Petrolia,  Orillia,  Brampton,  Kensmore,  Gait,  Colling- 
wood,  Barrie,  Grimsby,  Owen  Sound,  Plattsville ;  Cal 
vary,  Brantford  ;  Adelaide  Street,  London  ;  First  Av 
enue  and  College  Street,  Toronto;  Olivet,  Montreal. 
A  large  proportion  of  these  one  hundred  churches 
were  organized  under  the  direct  supervision  of  the 
Home  Mission  Board. 

Report  of  1881.  The  Home  Mission  Report  by  Dr. 
Davidson  in  1881  states  that  from  1855  to  1881  the 
Home  Mission  Churches  of  the  Western  Convention 
had  reported  over  5,000  baptisms,  100  chapels  built, 
and  $100,000  raised  for  Home  Mission  work.  The 
Eastern  Convention,  from  its  formation  in  1858  to 
1881,  had  reported  about  1,000  baptisms,  and  $30,611 
raised  for  Home  Missions. 

Secretarial  Appointments.  During  this  period  the 
Home  Mission  Board  made  a  new  departure  by 
appointing  a  secretary  for  the  Society  who  should 
give  half  his  time  to  the  supervision  of  the  work  and 
the  raising  of  funds.  Dr.  William  Stewart  was  the 
first  incumbent  of  the  office,  and  he  was  succeeded 
by  Dr.  Davidson  in  1876. 


154         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

(4)  1881—1891.  The  next  decade,  1881  to  1891, 
will  see  the  close  of  the  period  which  this  second  chap 
ter  of  our  sketch  was  to  cover.  The  whole  period  cov 
ered  by  this  chapter,  1851  to  1888,  is  -specially  distin 
guished  as  -a  period  of  organization,  but  the  last  few 
years  of  the  period  saw  the  organization  of  the  work  of 
the  Convention  brought  to  a  very  high  state  of  per 
fection.  It  may  appropriately  be  said  of  this  period 
that  since  the  opening  of  the  Foreign  and  the  Western 
work  the  Baptists  of  these  Provinces  began  to  have 
a  larger  conception  of  their  mission,  and  "  expansion  " 
began  to  find  a  place  as  the  watchword  of  the  churches 
and  the  Boards.  The  completion  of  this  organization 
was  simply  the  Convention  girding  itself  for  the 
larger  responsibilities  to  which  it  was  soon  to  be 
called. 

In  Home  Missions  two  important  forward  steps 
were  taken  in  the  last  decade.  In  1884  Rev-  Alexander 
Grant,  the  then  pastor  of  the  Talbot  Street  Church, 
London,  was  called  by  the  Convention  to  be  the  first 
Superintendent  of  Home  Missions.  He  accepted  the 
appointment,  and  very  soon  after  entered  upon  his 
work.  In  a  large  measure  he  was  compelled  to  break 
new  ground,  as  the  office  and  its  functions  were 
entirely  new.  Financially  this  step  had  been  made 
possible  and  feasible  for  the  Home  Mission  Board  by 
the  fact  that  the  Hon.  William  McMaster  had  set 
apart  $2,000  per  year  as  a  perpetuity  for  the  support 
of  a  Home  Mission  Superintendent  for  Ontario  and 
Quebec. 

Organization  of  Associational  Work.  Mr.  Grant's 
appointment  proved  to  be  a  wise  step  and  a  wise 
choice.  Action  and  progress  were  the  primal  ele- 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  155 

ments  in  Mr.  Grant's  being.  It  will,  therefore,  be 
easily  understood  that  under  his  leadership  the  watch 
word  of  the  Home  Mission  Board  should  ibe  "  expan 
sion."  He  also  had  a  genius  for  organization,  and 
hence  we  find  that  under  his  administration  and 
guidance  the  present  excellent  system  of  Associational 
Home  Mission  Boards  was  arranged.  These  Boards 
were  to  consist  of  five  men  in  each  Association  elected 
at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Association.  The  chair 
man  of  this  Local  Board  was  to  be  e.v-officio  a  member 
of  the  General  Home  Mission  Board  of  the  Conven 
tion.  This  local  Board  was  to  have  a  general  super 
vision  of  the  Home  Mission  work  in  its  own  Associa 
tion,  and  all  the  applications  for  Home  Mission  aid 
were  to  be  passed  upon  by  this  Board  before  going 
before  the  General  Board.  The  system  has  proven 
to  be  eminently  satisfactory  and  is  being  worked  up 
to  the  present  time  without  change. 

Dominion  Board.  The  second  forward  step  referred 
to  was  the  organization  of  a  "  Dominion  Board  of 
Home  Missions."  Its  function  was  to  be  the  over 
sight  of  Baptist  work  in  any  place  where  existing 
Boards  were  not  already  doing  work.  It  was,  how 
ever,  very  short-lived.  It  was  soon  found  that  much 
of  the  work  which  it  was  intended  to  do  was  provided 
for  under  already  existing  Boards,  and  very  shortly 
after  its  formation  Home  Missionary  Conventions 
were  organized  in  Western  Canada  and  the  Dominion 
Board  was  rendered  unnecessary. 

Summary.  It  has  been  difficult  to  ascertain  the 
figures  for  the  year  closing  the  period  covered  by  this 
chapter,  ibut  in  the  year  1890  there  were  reported  388 
churches,  with  a  total  membership  of  albout  33,000. 


156        THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

The  net  increase  of  the  membership  of  the  churches 
for  the  decade  was  about  5,000.  At  one  of  the  Carey 
Centennial  meetings  in  1892,  the  Rev.  Ira  Smith,  of 
London,  gave  a  paper  on  the  "  Growth  and  Develop 
ment  "  of  the  Home  Mission  work  in  Ontario  and 
Quebec,  in  which  he  gives  in  one  paragraph  such  an 
excellent  summary  of  Home  Mission  progress  during 
this  whole  period  that  we  have  decided  to  take  the 
liberty  of  quoting  it  in  full.  He  says :  "  Whereas  in 
1851  there  was  one  missionary,  and  in  1858  twelve 
missionaries,  in  baptisms,  and  643  members  enjoying 
pastoral  oversight  through  the  care  of  this  organiza 
tion  (the  H.  M.  B.),  in  1890  there  were  182  stations 
served  by  about  90  pastors;  the  membership  of  the 
Home  Mission  churches  was  9,877,  and  709  baptisms 
were  reported  for  the  year.  An  average  of  13,661 
people  listened  to  the  Gospel  every  Lord's  Day  in  these 
churches,  and  7,802  scholars  were  taught  by  838 
teachers.  Added  to  this,  30  students  supplied  53  sta 
tions  and  preached  the  Word  to  2,704  hearers  during 
the  summer  vacation.  In  1858,  $1,476  was  received 
from  all  sources  for  this  work,  while  in  1891  this 
amount  had  been  increased  to  $19,316.  In  1855  there 
were  about  11,500  Baptists  in  the  two  provinces;  at 
the  present  moment  (1892)  there  are  not  less  than 
38,000." 

Churches  Organized.  Amongst  the  churches  organ 
ized  during  this  decade  were:  Vankleek  Hill,  Parry 
Sound,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Meaford,  Port  Arthur, 
Windsor,  Wentworth  Street,  Herkimer  Street,  and 
Victoria  Avenue,  Hamilton;  Oxford  Street,  Wood 
stock;  Grace  (Westmount),  Montreal;  Trinity, 
Guelph ;  McPhail  Memorial,  Ottawa ;  Toronto  June- 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  157 

tion  (Annette  Street)  ;  Royce  Avenue  (Willoughby 
Avenue),  Parkdale,  Dovercourt  Road,  Ossington  Av 
enue,  Tecumseth  Street  (Memorial),  Beverley  Street 
and  Walmer  Road,  Toronto.  Of  these  21  churches, 
all  of  'which  are  now  strong  self-supporting  churches 
and  liberal  contributors  to  all  our  Mission  enterprises, 
at  least  15  were  organized  under  and  for  some  years 
supported  by  the  Home  Mission  Board. 

Report  of  1886.     From  an  article  written  by  the 
late  Dr.  Rand  for  the  Home  Mission  number  of  The 
Baptist  for  1886,  we  glean  the  following  remarkable 
figures :     In  1886  there  were  in  the  Western  Conven 
tion  275  churches.     Within  the  thirty  years  prior  to 
this  no  less  than  180  of  these  churches,  or  65  per  cent., 
had  received  aid  from  the  Home  Mission  Board,  and 
1 20  of  them  had  been  started  by  the  Board  during  that 
period.     Of  these   180  churches  which  had  received 
help  no  less  than  70  had  'become  self-supporting  within 
that  period,  and  at  least  50  of  them  are  amongst  the  I 
most  aggressive  and  liberal  churches  of  the  Convention.  \ 
At   the   same  date  there   were  275   ordained   Baptist   { 
ministers  in  the  Convention.     By  a  careful  computa 
tion  Dr.  Rand  estimates  that,  of  these,  196  came  from 
rural  districts,  and  that  not  less  than   127  had  come    j 
from  the  Home  Mission  churches  of  that  period. 

These  are  figures  that  talk,  and  they  are  earnestly 
commended  to  the  very  careful  consideration  of  all 
students  of  Canadian  Baptist  history. 

8.    LEADERS  OF  THE  PERIOD. 

Some  of  the  leaders  of  the  earlier  part  of  this 
period  were  of  necessity  men  who  had  figured  largely 
in  the  closing  years  of  the  previous  period.  They 


158         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

have  been  classed  in  this  period  simply  'because  their 
chief  work  was  done  through  the  years  that  are  now 
being  considered.  As  the  history  nears  the  close  of 
the  period,  it  becomes  more  and  more  difficult  to  make 
selection  amongst  the  many  who  took  prominent  place 
in  the  work  of  the  denomination,  and  it  is  made  still 
more  difficult  and  almost  embarrassing  by  the  fact 
that  not  a  few  of  them  are  still  with  us,  and  some  of 
them  still  active  in  service.  It  seems  scarcely  neces 
sary  to  say  that  if  in  making  selection  any  names  of 
real  and  recognized  leaders  have  been  omitted,  the 
omission  is  entirely  unintentional.  It  will  also  be 
readily  understood  that  owing  to  the  ever-increasing 
facilities  for  travel  and  transportation,  there  was  dur 
ing  this  period  a  constant  interchange  of  pastors  and 
other  workers  between  the  East  and  the  West.  It 
will  not  be  necessary,  therefore,  to  classify  men 
according  to  districts. 

Rev.  R.  A.  Fyfe,  D.D.  Robert  A.  Fyfe  was  a 
native  Canadian.  He  was  converted  in  young  man 
hood  and  at  once  began  to  give  himself  to  earnest 
Christian  service.  Soon  after  his  conversion  he  de 
cided  for  the  ministry.  He  received  his  academical 
training  in  Worcester  Academy,  his  theological  train 
ing  in  Newton  Theological  Institution,  Mass.  The 
place  which  he  filled  in  Canadian  Baptist  history  is  so 
large  that  no  adequate  idea  of  his  work  can  be  given 
in  such  a  sketch  as  the  present.  Perhaps,  if  any  one 
word  should  be  chosen  to  describe  the  most  prominent 
feature  in  his  character  as  a  man  among  men,  it 
would  be  the  word  "  thorough,"  and  in  his  Christian 
life  and  work  perhaps  the  most  appropriate  would 
be  "  missionary."  Thoroughness  characterized  all  his 


DENOMINATIONAL  BUILDERS. 

MR.   D.  BUCHAN.  MK.   p.   K.  THOMPSON,  K.C. 

HON.  WM.  MC.MASTKK. 

K.KV.    »IoHV    TfnwAun    f^*aiiTu»  T>.,,,      r\      r\      o      TIT  .  _  _ 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  159 

movements,  and  in  all  his  work,  whether  in  the  pas 
torate  or  as  principal  of  the  college,  he  was  guided 
by  the  great  missionary  purpose. 

So  far  as  his  actual  work  in  our  denomination  is 
concerned,  perhaps  no  words  can  better  describe  the 
place  he  rilled  and  the  results  he  accomplished  than 
the  following  paragraph  from  a  sketch  of  his  life 
written  by  Dr.  McLaurin.  He  says  :  "  As  the  father 
of  our  denomination,  as  the  unifier  of  its  hetero 
geneous  elements,  we  recall  his  memory  to-day.  He 
found  us  Englishmen,  Irishmen,  Scotchmen  and  Am 
ericans,  and  made  us  all  Canadians.  When  he  began 
his  work  we  were  divided  into  half  a  dozen  hostile 
camps,  hard-shell,  soft-shell,  and  no  shell  at  all; 
'  close '  and  '  open  '  and  half-way  between,  and  East 
and  West.  And  now  from  Quebec  to  Windsor,  and 
from  Niagara  to  Port  Arthur,  we  are  one  people." 
Dr.  Fyfe's  name  will  probably  always  remain  as  the 
greatest  name  in  Canadian  Baptist  history.  The  man 
and  the  opportunity  met  and  he  proved  himself  as 
great  as  the  opportunity,  and  even  though  another 
equally  great  should  arise,  it  is  quite  improbable  that 
he  would  meet  with  an  equally  great  opportunity. 
He  will,  of  course,  be  remembered  chiefly  as  the 
founder  and  principal  of  the  Canadian  Literary  Insti 
tute  in  Woodstock,  but  it  will  also  be  recognized  that 
from  that  vantage-point  he  touched  and  in  a  large 
measure  helped  to  shape  every  department  of  our 
denominational  life  and  work. 

Thomas  L.  Davidson,  D.D.,  a  Scotchman  by  birth, 
came  to  Canada  in  early  life  and  settled  at  Perth. 
He  was  converted  at  sixteen,  and  not  long  after  decided 
for  the  ministry.  He  took  the  full  college  course  at 


160         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Montreal  Baptist  College  and  was  one  of  its  most  dis 
tinguished  graduates.  He  was  a  man  of  strong,  im 
petuous  nature,  and  hence  something  had  to  be  done 
whenever  Dr.  Davidson  took  hold  of  any  project. 
His  pastorates  were  in  Pickering,  Brantford,  St. 
George,  Aylmer,  Guelph,  Chatham  and  Tiverton.  He 
held  the  position  of  Secretary  of  Home  Missions  for 
over  fifteen  years,  and  in  that  capacity  did  a  large 
and  lasting  work  for  the  denomination. 

Rev.  John  Higgins.  The  sphere  of  Mr.  Higgins' 
work  was  chiefly  in  the  Ottawa  Valley.  He  did  his 
college  work  under  Dr.  Fyfe  at  Woodstock.  His  pas 
torates  were  in  Papineauville,  Thurso,  Ailsa  Craig, 
Pembroke,  Osnabruck  and  Lachute.  In  one  sense  he 
cannot  be  spoken  of  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  our 
denominational  life,  as  he  was  never  much  in  the  fore 
front  of  our  work.  He  was  one  of  the  same  kind  of 
leaders  as  McDormand  and  McPhail  and  McConnell 
of  the  last  period.  His  name  will  always  be  affec 
tionately  remembered  in  the  Ottawa  Valley,  where  he 
organized  a  number  of  churches  and  baptized  nearly 
1,000  converts. 

Rev.  Alexander  Stewart.  Father  Stewart,  as  he 
was  familiarly  known  in  Western  Ontario,  was  a 
leader  of  the  same  kind  as  John  Higgins.  In  early 
life  he  was  a  Scotch  Presbyterian,  but  changed  his 
views  and  was  baptized  by  Rev.  D.  W.  Rowland  at 
Fredericks-burg  (now  Delhi).  He  was  ordained  in 
1851.  He  made  his  headquarters  during  the  most  of 
his  ministry  at  Durham,  but  he  evangelized  through 
out  the  counties  of  Huron,  Grey  and  Bruce.  He 
organized  churches  in  Durham,  South  Arthur,  North 
Arthur,  Mount  Forest,  Priceville,  Hanover,  Greenock, 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  161 

Holland,  Sullivan  and  Elderslie.  Perhaps  no  one  of 
our  pioneer  Baptist  preachers  did  more  real  hard 
work,  suffered  more  real  privations  and  received  less 
remuneration  than  Father  Stewart.  His  son  is  the 
well-known  Dr.  J.  W.  A.  Stewart,  Dean  of  Theology 
in  Rochester  Seminary. 

Rev.  John  Bates.  Mr.  Bates  was  English  by  birth. 
He  was  converted  at  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and 
soon  after  ibegan  to  preach.  At  twenty-eight  years  of 
age  he  was  sent  to  Ireland  as  a  missionary,  where  he 
labored  for  seventeen  years.  He  emigrated  to  Iowa 
and  was  pastor  there  for  fourteen  years.  Then  to 
Dundas,  Canada,  and  later  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
Woodstock  Baptist  Church.  Father  Bates,  as  he  was 
familiarly  called,  was  an  all-round  man  and  a  capable 
leader.  Not  the  least  service  he  rendered  to  the  Bap 
tist  denomination  of  Canada  was  to  give  two  sons  and 
two  daughters  to  its  service — Rev.  S.  S.  Bates,  D.D., 
Mr.  Joseph  I.  Bates,  former  principal  of  Woodstock 
College,  Mrs.  John  McLaurin  and  Mrs.  A.  V.  Timpany. 

Rev.  John  H.  Castle,  D.D.  Dr.  Castle  will  always 
be  remembered  as  pastor  of  Jarvis  Street  Baptist 
Church  and  first  principal  of  Toronto  Baptist  College. 
He  was  an  American,  but  came  to  Canada  to  take 
charge  of  the  old  Bond  Street  Church  (now  Jarvis 
Street).  Under  his  ministry  Jarvis  Street  Church, 
the  Baptist  Cathedral  of  Toronto,  was  built,  and  the 
building  of  McMaster  Hall  was  in  no  small  measure 
owing  to  his  influence  upon  Senator  McMaster. 

Rev.  John  Torrance,  M.A.     Amongst    the    names 

most  fondly  cherished  by  the  old  C.  L.  I.  students,  that 

of  John   Torrance   holds   a   large   place.     He   was   a 

Scotchman,  'but  came  to  Canada  early  in  life.     His 

11 


162         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

college  work  was  done  in  Woodstock  and  Toronto 
University.  After  pastorates  at  Cheltenham  and 
Yorkville,  he  went  to  Woodstock  College  as  a  pro 
fessor.  After  Dr.  Fyfe's  death  he  was  appointed 
principal.  He  has  always  been  counted  as  one  of  the 
strongest  of  the  many  strong  men  who  taught  in 
Woodstock. 

Rev.  John  Crawford,  D.D.,  was  an  Irishman  by 
birth,  but  of  Scotch  parentage.  He  was  reared  a 
Presbyterian,  but  was  converted  and  baptized  under 
the  ministry  of  the  renowned  Dr.  Carson.  He  came 
to  Canada  in  1858,  and  soon  after  settled  at  Chelten 
ham.  After  eight  years  of  happy  service  he  was  called 
to  a  professor's  chair  in  the  C.  L.  I.  at  Woodstock, 
where  he  remained  for  ten  years.  Dr.  Crawford  will 
always  be  remembered  by  his  old  students  as  a  strong, 
inspiring  and  helpful  teacher.  His  last  distinctively 
educational  work  was  the  founding  of  Prairie  College 
in  the  West. 

Rev.  D.  A.  McGregor.  No  names  are  dearer  to  the 
students  of  the  C.  L.  I  than  those  of  D.  A.  McGregor 
and  E.  W.  Dadson.  "  D.A."  as  he  was  always  fam 
iliarly  called,  came  from  the  historic  Osgoode  Church. 
After  \graduation  he  held  only  one  pastorate,  Strat 
ford.  He  was  then  called  to  a  professor's  chair  in 
Toronto  Baptist  College.  After  Dr.  Castle's  death  he 
was  appointed  Principal  of  the  college,  but  held  the 
position  only  a  few  months,  when  he,  too,  was  called 
away.  For  two  years  he  was  the  efficient  secretary 
of  the  Home  Mission  Society  of  Ontario. 

Rev.  E.  W.  Dadson,  D.D.  Dr.  Dadson  was  so 
recently  amongst  us  that  his  work  does  not  need  to 
be  described  to  the  present  generation,  and  yet  he 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  163 

must  be  named  amongst  the  leaders  of  the  later  years 
of  the  period  now  being  considered.  He  was  a  grad 
uate  of  Toronto  University  and  of  the  C.  L.  I.  His 
pastorates  were  Denfield,  Strathroy,  Claremont,  Wood 
stock,  and  Olivet  Church,  Montreal.  He  was  for 
several  years  the  capable  and  efficient  editor  of  The 
Canadian  Baptist. 

Malcolm  MacVicar,  MA.,  LL.D.  Dr.  MacVicar 
was  pre-eminently  an  educationist.  He  was  for  some 
years  a  professor  in  Toronto  Baptist  College,  and 
when  the  Arts  Department  was  to  be  opened  he  was 
made  the  first  Chancellor  of  the  University. 

Rev.  Alexander  Grant.  Mr.  Grant's  work  as  Super 
intendent  of  Home  Missions  has  already  been  referred 
to  under  the  section  "  Progress  of  the  Churches." 
He  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  later 
years  of  this  period.  But  his  leadership  was  almost 
meteor-like  in  its  suddenness  and  its  'brilliancy.  He 
flashed  upon  the  denomination  in  the  early  -eighties 
and  in  1884  commanded  such  a  place  that  he  was 
appointed  to  the  Superintendency  of  Home  'Missions. 
Few  men  have  come  to  the  front  so  rapidly  as  Alex 
ander  Grant,  and  yet  few  men  have  left  so  large  an 
impress  upon  our  denominational  life. 

Rev  John  McLaurin,  D.D.,  and  Rev.  A.  V.  Tim- 
pany  are  names  that  stand  out  in  every  Baptist's 
thought  as  being  amongst  the  prominent  men  of  this 
period.  But  as  their  ministry  was  almost  exclusively 
on  the  Foreign  field,  we  need  only  say  that  both  names 
are  very  dear  to  Canadian  Baptists. 

James  E.  Wells,  M.A.,  LL.D.  "  Professor  Wells," 
as  he  is  best  known,  was  a  native  of  New  Brunswick 
and  a  graduate  of  Acadia.  He  came  to  the  C.  L.  I. 


i64         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

in  Woodstock  as  Classical  Master,  and  for  many 
years  he  was,  perhaps,  Dr.  Fyfe's  most  trusted  coun 
sellor.  He  was  an  able  teacher  and  a  powerful  jour 
nalistic  writer.  He  was  an  editorial  writer  for  the 
Globe,  editor  of  The  Week,  of  the  Journal  of  Educa 
tion,  and  of  the  Canadian  Baptist.  Professor  Wells' 
writing  did  much  to  shape  the  educational  policy  of 
the  Baptist  people,  but  it  did  equally  as  much  to  shape 
the  policy  of  Toronto  University.  To  him,  perhaps 
more  than  to  any  other  one  man  is  due  the  fact  that 
women  are  admitted  to  the  full  Arts  work  in  Toronto 
University. 

The  Hon.  William  McMaster.  So  much  has  been 
written  and  spoken  regarding  the  life  and  work  of 
Mr.  McMaster  that  little  need  be  said  here.  He 
attained  a  prominent  place  in  the  business  world  and 
amassed  a  fortune  because  of  his  great  business 
ability  and  his  sound  judgment.  He  attained  to  emin 
ence  in  Christian  work  simply  because  he  carried  these 
same  qualities  into  his  religious  life.  His  interest  in 
educational  work  was  a  growth,  and  his  large  liberality 
towards  our  educational  work  in  his  later  years  was 
the  result  of  a  profound  conviction  respecting  the 
great  importance  of  the  mission  and  the  message  of 
the  Baptists. 

Mrs.  Susan  Moulton  McMaster.  It  is,  perhaps, 
scarcely  right  to  speak  of  Mrs.  McMaster  as  a  leader 
in  our  Convention  work,  and  yet  there  is  little  doubt 
that  her  influence  with  Mr.  McMaster  was  in  no  small 
degree  responsible  for  his  large  gifts  to  education. 
Her  own  gift  of  $26,000,  including  the  family  resi 
dence,  for  a  ladies'  college  entitles  her  to  a  place  in 
this  list  of  leaders. 


ONTARIO   AND    QUEBEC  165 

Other  Leaders.  Amongst  the  recognized  leaders  of 
the  period  are  to  be  found  the  names  of  many  other 
laymen  whose  share  in  the  work  of  the  denomination 
justly  entitles  them  to  a  place  in  this  roll  of  honor. 
But  the  space  for  this  chapter  is  already  exceeded,  and 
so  we  only  mention  the  following : 

Mr.  A.  T.  McCord,  of  Toronto,  the  first  treasurer 
of  the  Home  Mission  Society ;  Mr.  T.  S.  Shenstone, 
Brant  ford,  an  active  promoter  and  liberal  supporter 
of  missions,  both  Home  and  Foreign;  Mr.  William 
Craig,  of  Port  Hope,  who  gave  of  his  substance  to 
all  Mission  enterprises,  and  who  also  gave  a  son  to 
the  foreign  field;  Mr.  William  Buck,  Brantford,  a 
consecrated  business  man  and  one  of  the  founders 
of  Park  Church;  Hon.  Alexander  Mackenzie,  M.P., 
and  one  time  premier  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada, 
who  was  a  staunch  Baptist  and  took  a  live  interest  ini 
all  denominational  affairs;  Deacon  Burtch,  Wood 
stock,  already  mentioned  as  having  mortgaged  his 
home  to  save  Woodstock  College;  Deacon  L.  G. 
Carter,  Port  Colborne,  for  many  years  a  member  of 
the  Home  Mission  Board,  especially  remembered  for 
having  built  a  number  of  Home  Mission  chapels  in 
the  Niagara  district  at  his  own  expense. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CONSOLIDATION— EXPANSION— MISSIONS 
(1888-1910). 

As  we  come  to  consider  the  third  period  from 
1888,  the  date  of  the  union  of  the  two  conventions, 
Eastern  and  Western,  to  1910,  we  must  recognize  the 
fact  that  we  shall  have  to  chronicle  many  things  and 
state  many  facts  that  are  easily  within  the  memory 
of  the  most  of  those  who  will  use  this  book.  We 
shall  have  to  refer  to  some  questions  that  are  still 
under  consideration  and  we  shall  have  to  speak  of  men 
who  are  still  in  the  forefront  of  our  work  and  who 
consequently  are  not  proper -subjects  for  the  historian. 
It  will  be  readily  admitted  that  in  such  cases  it  would 
be  impolite  and  intrusive  for  the  writer  to  express 
opinions  or  pronounce  judgments. 

i.  CONSOLIDATION. 

(1)  The  Union  of  1888.  Formation.  For  some 
time  prior  to  1888  there  had  been  a  growing  feeling  in 
both  conventions  that  the  maintenance  of  a  double  staff 
of  Boards  and  secretaries  and  treasurers  involved  an 
unnecessary  expenditure  of  time  and  energy.  In  1887 
the  Eastern  Convention  made  a  definite  move  in  this 
direction  and  made  a  proposition  to  the  Western.  In 

166 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  167 

1888  the  Western  Convention,  while  in  session  in  Jarvis 
St.  Church,  Toronto,  passed  the  following  resolution : — 
"Whereas  this  question  of  Union  has  been  carefully 
considered,  both  'by  the  Society  in  the  East  and  by  us, 
therefore,  resolved,  that  we  do  now  receive  the  Eastern 
Society  into  union  with  us/* 

Name  and  Scope.  The  new  convention  was  to  be 
called,  :<  The  Baptist  Convention  of  Ontario  and 
Quebec."  All  the  Boards  and  Societies  of  both  con 
ventions,  except  the  Grande-Ligne  Mission,  were  to 
be  merged  into  the  one  convention.  The  scope  of  the 
convention  was  to  include  all  phases  of  Christian 
work  common  to  Baptist  churches,  and  its  territory 
was  the  whole  of  the  two  provinces.  This  gave  the 
Convention  Boards  a  territorial  range  of  nearly  2,000 
miles,  from  East  to  West,  and  from  300  to  500  miles 
from  North  to  South. 

Composition.  This  Convention,  unlike  its  predeces 
sors,  was  to  'have  no  monetary  basis  of  membership, 
but  on  the  other  hand  was  to  be  a  purely  representative 
body,  directly  related  to  the  individual  churches.  A 
constitution  was  adopted,  and  subsequently  a  charter 
was  obtained.  Under  the  terms  of  the  constitution 
it  was  provided : — "  That  each  church,  with  a  member 
ship  of  one  hundred  or  under,  shall  be  entitled  to  send 
two  delegates,  and  that  each  church  with  a  member 
ship  of  over  one  hundred  shall  'be  entitled  to  send  an 
additional  delegate  for  every  hundred  members  or 
fraction  of  a  hundred,  provided  that  such .  fraction 
exceeds  fifty." 

Functions.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Convention 
was  really  an  assembly  of  the  churches  acting  through 
their  accredited  representatives.  It  will,  of  course, 


168         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

be  readily  understood  that  the  genius  of  our  organiza 
tion  as  independent  churches  would  prohibit  anything 
like  legislative  functions  for  this  convention,  and  yet 
the  fact  of  its  direct  representation  by  delegates  chosen 
by  the  churches  themselves  must  always  give  its 
deliberations  and  decisions  great  weight  with  the 
churches. 

Boards.  The  executive  work  of  the  Convention  was 
to  be  committed  to  Boards  elected  by  the  Con 
vention  in  open  meeting  and  reporting  to  the  Conven 
tion  from  time  to  time.  When  organized,  the  Con 
vention  had  the  following  Boards: — Home  Missions, 
Foreign  Missions,  Superannuated  Ministers'  Fund, 
Publication,  and  Church  Edifice.  Since  that  time  it 
has  added  a  Board  of  Governors  for  McMaster  Uni 
versity,  a  Sunday  School  Board,  a  Board  of  Western 
Missions,  and  the  Convention  has  been  given  an 
advisory  representation  on  the  Grande-Ligne  Mission 
Board. 

Results.  The  Union  has  worked  out  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  all  concerned,  and  we  may  safely  say 
that  the  wider  scope  and  the  larger  outlook  of  the 
united  Conventions  gave  a  new  impetus  to  all  depart 
ments  of  the  work. 

(2)  The  Baptist  Young  People's  Union.  The 
organization  of  all  departments  of  church  work 
during  the  last  period  was  so  comprehensive  and  so 
thorough  that  there  remained  but  little  to  be  done  dur 
ing  the  present  period.  Perhaps  the  only  new  organi 
zation  of  the  present  period  was  that  of  the  Baptist 
Young  People's  Union,  commonly  known  as  the 
B.Y.P.U.  In  1890  delegates  from  Young  People's 
Societies,  both  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  met 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  169 

in  Chicago  and  organized  the  Baptist  Young  People's 
Union  of  America.  Two  years  later,  May  4th  and  5th, 
delegates  from  societies  in  Ontario  and  Quebec  met 
in  response  to  a  call  signed  by  Thos.  Urquhart,  Harry 
L.  Stark,  Rev.  O.  C.  S.  Wallace,  Rev.  S.  S.  Bates,  and 
about  twenty-five  others,  and  organized  The  Baptist 
Young  People's  Union  of  Ontario  and  Quebec.  In 
1894,  on  the  invitation  of  this  Provincial  Union,  the 
Baptist  Young  People's  Union  of  America  held  its 
Annual  Convention  in  Toronto.  The  meetings  were 
held  in  Massey  Hall.  This  Convention  has  ever  since 
been  thought  of  as  one  of  the  most  memora/ble  Baptist 
assemblages  ever  held  in  Canada. 

(3)  The  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement. 
This  movement  is  the  agency  through  which  the 
Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Boards  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada  co-operate  in  their  work  of  Mission 
ary  education.  While  seeking  to  serve  all  the  depart 
ments  of  the  church  the  special  field  of  the  Movement's 
activity  is  the  twenty  million  young  people  to  be  found 
in  the  Sunday  schools,  the  Young  People's  Societies 
and  other  organizations  of  the  various  denominations. 
The  Board  of  Managers,  which  determines  the  policy 
and  controls  the  activities  of  the  Movement,  is  com 
posed  of  fortynine  members,  twenty-three  of  whom 
are  Board  Secretaries,  and  twenty  prominent  business 
and  professional  men.  According  to  its  constitution 
the  majority  of  its  members  must  be  Mission  Board 
Secretaries,  thus  placing  the  controlling  power  in  the 
hands  of  the  denominational  Boards. 

The  members  of  the  Board  of  Managers,  resident 
in  Canada,  constitute  the  Canadian  Council.  Six  of 
these  are  Secretaries  of  the  Mission  Boards  of  the 


170         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

leading  Protestant  denominations,  and  two  well-known 
business  men.  This  Council  directs  the  work  of  the 
Movement  in  Canada.  Associated  with  the  Council 
is  an  Advisory  Committee  of  thirteen  representative 
missionary  leaders  who  render  valuable  assistance  in 
helping  with  the  solution  of  the  problems  relating  to 
the  work.  Its  work  consists  chiefly  in  the  holding  of 
Institutes  and  Summer  Conferences. 

(4)  Sunday  School  Board.  Although  no  reference 
has  been  made  to  Sunday  School  work,  our  people 
have  (been  alive  to  its  importance  from  the  very 
beginning.  No  systematic  and  united  action  seems 
to  have  been  undertaken,  however,  until,  1890, 
when  the  Convention  appointed  a  committee  con 
sisting  of  Thos.  Urquhart,  Prof.  Trotter,  and  Rev. 
P.  K.  Dayfoot  on  Sunday  School  work.  The  commit 
tee  reported  the  following  year  that  there  were  30,514 
scholars  in  the  347  schools  reporting,  56  schools  not 
reporting.  Little  progress  seems  to  have  been  made 
during  the  next  thirteen  years,  for  in  1904  there  were 
only  406  schools,  with  35,475  scholars  enrolled.  An 
advance  step  was  taken,  however,  in  January,  1905, 
in  the  appointment  of  Rev.  S.  Sheldon  as  General 
Superintendent.  He  was  followed  September  i,  1906, 
by  Rev.  W.  B.  Merril.  The  interest  has  been  so 
greatly  quickened  by  the  labors  of  these  men  that  Mr. 
Merril  was  able  to  report  in  October,  1910,  500 
schooils  with  50,158  'members  enrolled,  and  an  average 
attendance  much  higher,  proportionately,  than  six  years 
before.  Rev.  P.  K.  Dayfoot  was  appointed  General 
Superintendent,  January  i,  1911,  upon  the  resigna 
tion  of  Mr.  Merril  to  become  Associate  Pastor  of 
Jarvis  St.  Church,  Toronto.  The  Baptists  in  Ontario 


ONTARIO   AND    QUEBEC  171 

and  Quebec  are  the  only  denomination  in  America 
using  weekly  home  study  helps  with  a  written  review 
at  the  end  of  each  quarter.  The  Committee  was  made 
a  Board  in  1907. 

2.  EXPANSION. 

(l)  1890 — 1900.  In  Numbers.  From  a  general 
but  somewhat  careful  survey  of  the  work  of  the 
churches  during  the  past  two  decades  we  are 
almost  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  in  a  large 
measure  the  spirit  and  methods  of  evangelism  are 
changing  or  have  changed,  whether  for  better  or 
for  worse  it  is  not  for  a  chronicler  to  say.  During 
the  past  twenty  years  we  have  no  record  of  the  sweep 
ing  revivals  which  were  common  from  thirty  to  fifty 
years  ago.  Preachers  of  the  McPhail  and  Fraser  and 
McDormand  type  who  place  the  emphasis  of  their 
preaching  upon  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  the 
judgments  of  God  and  the  terrors  of  the  law,  do  not 
find  favor  amongst  the  churches  of  to-day.  As  a  con 
sequence  we  seldom  see  the  awful  sense  of  sin  which 
in  those  days  would  settle  upon  a  certain  district  and 
then  spread  from  community  to  community  until  hun 
dreds  would  be  converted.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
careful  comparisons  were  made,  it  would  probably  be 
found  that  for  a  given  period,  of  say  ten  years,  the 
percentage  of  professed  conversions  and  additions  to 
the  churches  would  compare  favorably  with  similar 
periods  in  the  past.  1890-1900.  From  the  records  of 
the  year  1900,  we  learn  that  during  the  previous  decade 
the  membership  of  all  the  Baptist  churches  in  the 
Convention  had  increased  from  about  33,000  to  44,111, 


172         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

or  something  over  40  per  cent,  in  the  ten  years,  while 
the  number  of  the  churches  had  increased  from  388 
to  464.  About  80  churches  were  organized  during  the 
decade,  amongst  which  were  such  churches  as  Point 
St.  Charles  and  Tabernacle,  Montreal;  Preston, 
Niagara  Falls,  Fort  William,  Kenora,  North  Bay; 
Fourth  Avenue,  Ottawa;  Park  St.,  Petenboro;  East 
Toronto,  Eglinton,  Waverley  Road  and  Western, 
Toronto. 

Home  Mission  Work.  At  the  Convention  held  in 
Woodstock  in  1900,  the  most  of  which,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  devoted  to  historical  reviews, 
Superintendent  McEwen  presented  the  following  sum 
mary  and  comparison : — "  In  other  respects  also  the 
past  twenty  years  bring  gratifying  encouragement. 
In  1881  the  secretaries  of  the  Conventions,  East  and 
West,  reported  54  pastors  and  students  under  their 
care;  last  year  the  number  had  risen  to  157.  In  1881 
it  was  estimated  that  $140,000  had  been  contributed 
for  Home  Missions  during  the  30  years  the  Conven 
tion  had  ibeen  in  existence  (1851  to  1881),  that  120 
churches  had  been  organized,  100  chapels  built  or 
bought,  and  that  at  least  5,000  converts  had  been 
baptized;  whereas  during  the  past  20  years  177  chapels 
have  been  built,  162  churches  organized,  64  churches 
have  risen  to  self-support,  13,705  have  been  baptized 
and  $380,000.00  contributed  to  Home  Missions." 
It  will  be  noted  that  this  quotation  refers  only  to  the 
record  of  Home  Mission  churches.  The  financial  side 
of  the  work  during  the  decade  was  not  so  encouraging. 
The  great  commercial  depression  which  settled  down 
upon  the  country  for  over  half  of  the  period  affected 
all  branches  of  Christian  work  very  seriously.  At  the 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  173 

Convention  of  1894,  the  Home  Mission  Board,  through 
Mr.  McEwen,  reported  a  drop  in  its  income  of  over 
$4,000.  Prior  to  that  there  had  'been  a  steadily  in 
creasing  income,  and  the  Board  had  gone  forward  with 
its  advance  work  confidently  expecting  an  adequate 
revenue. 

(2)  1900 — 1910.  As  a  Denomination.  The  second 
decade  of  this  period,  1900  to  1910,  may  be  spoken  of  as 
as  a  period  of  steady  but  fairly  rapid  growth  and  expan 
sion  in  all  directions.  The  reports  for  1900  give  464 
churches  with  a  membership  of  44,481.  During  the  ten 
years  just  closed  about  75  churches  were  organized,  and 
24,995  baptisms  were  reported,  and  yet  the  decade 
closed  with  about  490  churches  and  a  total  member 
ship  of  about  53,000.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  total 
increase  in  membership  does  not  nearly  equal  one-half 
of  the  total  number  of  baptisms.  This  discrepancy 
is  doubtless  owing  to  the  great  exodus  of  our  popula 
tion  to  the  West.  This  movement  has  been  depopulat 
ing  our  rural  districts  and  depleting  our  rural  churches 
for  the  last  fifteen  years.  It  should  be  remembered, 
however,  that  in  making  this  contribution  to  the  West, 
we  are  sending  them  thousands  of  strong  lives  that 
have  been  trained  under  Christian  influences,  and  that 
these  lives  will  doubtless  be  the  safe-guard  against  the 
evils  that  so  often  accompany  the  settlement  of  a  new 
country. 

The  Number  of  Chapels  built  for  the  period  was 
about  loo.  The  number  of  fields  declaring  for  self- 
support  was  48,  including  68  churches,  the  number  of 
ministers  ordained  during  the  period  was  160. 

The  financial  showing  for  the  same  period  is  most 
remarkable.  For  the  year  1901,  the  total  amount 


174         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

raised  by  all  our  churches  for  the  work  at  home  was 
$327,747,  while  for  1910  it  was  $538,796.  The  total 
amount  given  to  missions,  both  Home  and  Foreign,for 
1901,  was  $68,360,  and  for  1910,  $156,334,  an  increase 
of  128  per  cent.  For  Home  Missions  alone  the  amount 
in  1901  was  $28,027,  and  in  1910  it  was  $47,844,  an 
increase  of  70  per  cent.  Despite  these  splendid  in 
creases,  we  have  not,  however,  kept  pace  with  the 
increased  financial  ability  of  the  country  and  of  our 
own  churches. 

Baptisms  in  Home  Mission  Work.  During  the  same 
period  the  number  of  ibaptisms  in  the  Home  Mission 
churches,  with  a  membership  of  less  than  9,000,  or 
about  one-sixth  of  the  total  membership,  was  6,861 — 
between  one-fourth  and  one-third  of  the  whole  num 
ber  of  baptisms.  This  statement  represents  very  fairly 
the  proportion  of  baptisms  in  the  Home  Mission 
churches  as  compared  with  those  in  the  self -support 
ing  churches.  In  the  report  on  the  State  of  Religion 
for  the  year  1902,  the  Committee  reports  that  from 
the  year  1895  to  1902  the  stronger  churches  gave  an 
increase  by  baptism  of  4  per  cent,  on  their  membership, 
while  the  increase  of  the  Home  Mission  churches 
for  the  same  period  was  20  per  cent.  Whatever  may 
be  the  explanation  of  this  remarkable  fact,  its  'bearing 
upon  the  vital  importance  of  the  work  of  our  Home 
Mission  churches  is  very  apparent. 

Opportunities.  The  period  we  are  now  considering 
has  been  prolific  in  new  opportunities  for  denomina 
tional  enterprise.  Every  year  fresh  challenges  have 
come  to  the  Convention  from  the  home  field,  from  our 
great  Canadian  West  and  from  the  "  regions  beyond." 
In  the  home  field  the  opportunity  and  the  challenge 
have  been  fourfold  in  character. 


ONTARIO   AND    QUEBEC  175 

(a)  The   Challenge   of   New   Ontario.     This   vast 
new    territory     began     to     attract     attention     in     a 
large    way    about    the    beginning    of    the    new  cen 
tury.     Since    that    time    the    discovery    of    its    min 
eral    wealth,    its    vast    timber    limits    and   its  great 
agricultural  possibilities  has    gone    rapidly    forward, 
and    following   the   discovery    have   come   the    rapid 
growth  of  the  population,  and  the  consequent  challenge 
to  missionary  work.     The  Convention  has  responded 
nobly,  and  from  year  to  year  has  given  its  mandate 
to  the  Home  Mission  Board  to  "  go  forward."    Pioneer 
preachers,  such  as  Wm.  Peer,  T.  Luckens,  D.  Reddick, 
and  others,  have  repeated  the  labors  and  experiences 
and  conquests  of  some  of  the  early  preachers  of  the 
past  century.    Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Blind  River,  Sudbury, 
Cobalt,    Haileybury,    New    Liskeard,    Mil'berta,    Fort 
William,    Port   Arthur,    Dryden,    Kenora,    and    Fort 
Frances,  are  names  that  are  familiar  in  every  Home 
Mission  address  during  the  past  decade.     During  the 
ten  years  the  work  in  New  Ontario  has  increased  from 
five  organized  churches  and  two  preaching  stations  to 
thirty  churches  and  over  forty  preaching  stations,  or 
seventy  in  all. 

(b)  The    Challenge    of    the    City.      The    greatest 
factor  in  determining  the  character  of  national  life  is 
unquestionably  the  city  and  all  that  the  city  involves. 
Thus  it  conies  that  the  multiplication  and  rapid  growth 
of  cities,  with  their  complex  life,  their  heterogeneous 
populations    and  their    tremendous    possibilities    for 
good  or  evil,  constitute  the  strongest  possible  challenge 
to  the  Christian  church  on  both  patriotic  and  evan 
gelical  grounds.     The  cities  of  Ontario  and  Quebec 
are  growing  by  leaps  and  bounds,    At  the  present  time 


i;6         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

the  work  of  all  the  evangelical  churches  combined  is 
not  keeping  pace  with  the  growth  of  city  population. 
The  situation  came  so  rapidly  and  unexpectedly  that 
it  found  the  churches  unprepared.  They  are  now 
girding  themselves  to  the  task  and  wonderful  results 
have  ieen  accomplished  during  the  past  few  years 
through  the  City  Church  Extension  Boards  and  other 
agencies.  In  Toronto  alone  the  number  of  churches 
and  missions  has  increased  during  the  last  ten  years 
from  28  to  41,  an  increase  of  about  50  per  cent. 

(c)  The  Challenge  of  "The  Strangers  Within  Our 
Gates,"  and  foreign-speaking  population.  They  are 
coming  to  us  from  almost  every  country  in  the  world. 
They  come  to  us,  not  only  from  alien  tongues,  but  also 
with  alien  religions  and  alien  ideas  and  ideals  and  the 
responsibility  for  Canadianizing  these  people  rests 
largely  with  the  Protestant  Churches  of  Canada. 

Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  this  problem  and 
of  its  significance  may  be  obtained  from  the  following 
facts:  Toronto  has  at  the  present  time  nearly  20,000 
foreign  speaking  Jews  and  about  40,000  foreigners  of 
all  kinds.  Montreal  has  almost  40,000  Jews  and  be 
tween  75,000  and  90,000,  foreigners  of  all  kinds.  Fort 
William,  with  a  total  population  of  about  20,000,  has 
nearly  6,000  foreigners.  Hamilton,  Ottawa,  Brant- 
ford,  Sudbury,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Cobalt  and  Port 
Arthur  are  rapidly  filling  up  with  these  strangers. 

Again  reports  of  the  Home  Mission  Board  of  our 
Convention  indicate  that  Baptists,  at  least,  are  realiz 
ing  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  and  are  rising  to  the 
occasion.  At  the  Convention  in  October,  1910,  the 
Board  reported  two  Slavic  Missions  in  Toronto  and 
one  in  Fort  William;  four  Scandinavian  Churches — 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AT  HOME. 

BAND  OP  MACKDOMAN  BAPTIST  MISSION. 


MACEDONIAN  MISSION  HALL. 

REV.  J.  KOLESNIKOFF,   in  entrance. 


ONTARIO   AND    QUEBEC  177 

Deer  Lake,  Port  Arthur,  Kenora  and  Montreal,  and 
a  Mission  in  Rainy  River  district  where  there  are  470 
Scandinavian  families  within  a  radius  of  15  miles. 
A  printing  press  has  been  purchased  and  a  Ruthenian 
magazine  is  'being  published  monthly,  with  Mr. 
Kolesnikoff  as  editor,  which  has  a  large  circulation 
amongst  the  Slavic  people,  'both  in  Toronto  and  in  the 
Western  Provinces. 

The  strangers  are  responding  to  the  work  we  are 
doing  amongst  them.  In  Toronto,  Mr.  Kolesnikoff,  a 
man  mighty  in  the  Gosepl,  is  ministering  to  large 
numbers  of  Bulgarians,  Macedonians,  Russians  and 
Ruthenians.  He  has  already  baptized  about  20  con 
verts  and  the  work  gives  every  prospect  of  rapid 
development.  Deer  Lake  Scandinavian  Mission  is 
now  a  church  with  about  40  members  and  a  chapel  and 
parsonage.  Port  Arthur  Scandinavian  Mission  in 
four  years  has  developed  into  a  church  with  between 
30  and  40  members,  and  in  that  tinie  has  raised  about 
$1,000  towards  pastoral  support  and  $2,000  towards 
its  church  building.  Kenora  Scandinavian  Church  has 
about  40  members,  a  beautiful  chapel,  and  is  paying 
$35°  a  year  towards  pastor's  support.  During  the 
year  1910  the  Home  Mission  Board  expended  upon  the 
work  amongst  the  foreigners  over  $40,000,  and  the 
work  is  only  in  its  infancy  if  the  Convention  is  to  do 
its  rightful  share  in  the  Canadianizing  of  these  people. 

(d)  The  Lake  of  the  Woods  Indians.  In  the  years 
1904  and  1905,  the  attention  of  the  Convention  was 
directed  to  the  fact  that  in  the  Lake  of  the  Woods 
district  there  were  a  number  of  bands  of  the  Ojibway 
Indians  numbering  several  hundreds,  and  that  nothing 
was  being  done  for  them  along  religious  lines.  The 


178         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Home  Mission  Board  was  encouraged  to  begin  work 
amongst  them  at  once.  The  Rev.  G.  H.  Harber,  a 
returned  Congo  missionary,  who  was  then  pastor  of 
the  Arkona  Church,  volunteered  to  go,  and  began  his 
work  in  May,  1908.  The  first  two  years  of  the  work 
have  not  been  encouraging,  but  the  work  is  still  being 
vigorously  carried  on. 

Evangelistic  Work.  During  the  period  many  and 
strong  evangelistic  specialists  have  labored  amongst 
the  churches  of  the  Convention.  We  can  only  name  a 
few  whose  names  have  been  most  prominent : — Rev.  J. 
B.  Moore,  Rev.  W.  H.  Porter,  the  White  Brothers,  Rev. 
T.  T.  Shields,  Rev.  Wm.  Pugsley,  Rev.  M.  Vansickle 
and  Rev.  A.  W.  Torrie.  For  five  years  Mr.  Vansickle 
was  directly  in  the  employ  of  the  Home  Mission 
Board  and  Mr.  Torrie  for  two  years  of  the  same 
period.  Both  were  faithful  and  efficient  and  did  milch 
to  strengthen  the  weak  churches. 

In  Educational  Work.  McMaster  University  is  now 
a  recognized  fact  in  educational  circles.  When  the 
Arts  department  was  first  launched  there  was  much 
uncertainty,  and  many  questionings,  both  inside  and 
outside  the  Baptist  denomination,  as  to  what  the 
issue  should  be.  The  success  of  the  university  has 
exceeded  the  expectations  of  the  greatest  enthusiasts. 
The  student  enrolment  has  increased  much  more 
rapidly  than  was  anticipated,  and  the  recognition 
accorded  to  McMaster  graduates  by  other  institutions 
of  learning  has  been  all  that  could  be  desired.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  give  details  of  attendance.  The  follow 
ing  brief  statement  will  give  a  general  idea  of  the 
progress  of  the  University.  The  enrolment  in  Arts  in 
1891  was  16.  In  1894,  the  first  year  in  which  there 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  179 

would  be  the  full  four  classes  or  years,  it  was  95.  In 
1900  it  was  145,  and  in  1910  it  was  229.  The  enrol 
ment  in  Theology  in  1891  was  25.  In  1900  it  was  48 
and  m  1910,  50.  The  total  enrolment,  in  both  Arts 
and  Theology,  for  the  year  1894,  was  131.  In  1900 
it  had  increased  to  193  and  in  1910,  including  special 
courses,  to  304.  The  Faculty  has  been  compelled  to 
keep  pace  with  the  growth  in  attendance,  and  now 
numbers  24  professors.  Woodstock  College  and  Moul- 
ton  Ladies'  College  have  maintained  their  record  both 
in  attendance  and  efficiency.  In  the  management  of 
the  University  few  changes  have  been  made.  In  1904, 
Deans  were  appointed,  both  in  Arts  and  Theology- 
Professor  A.  C.  McKay  in  Arts  and  Dr.  Farmer  in 
Theology.  When  Dr.  McKay  was  promoted  to  the 

Chancellorship,  Professor  W.  S.  W.  McLay  was  chosen 
for  Dean  in  Arts.  The  Chancellors  have  been  Dr. 
MacVicar,  Dr.  Rand,  Dr.  Wallace,  and  Dr.  McKay. 

The  changes  in  the  Faculty  have  been  numerous  and 
important.  Dr.  Rand  and  Dr.  Welton  were  both 

removed  by  death.    Dr.  Newman,  Dr.  Goodspeed,  Dr. 

Cross,  Professor  Cohoe  and  Professor  Dales  resigned. 

The  appointments  to  vacancies  and  to  nil  new  positions 
have  included  Dr.  Keirstead,  Dr.  Gilmour,  Professor 

Matthews  and  Dr.  Trotter  in  theology;  in  Arts,  Dr. 

R.  W.  Smith,  Dr.  McCrimmon,  Dr.  Tingle,  Dr.  Hogg, 

Dr.  Findlay  and  Prof.  G.  H.  Campbell. 

In  1910  Brandon  College  was  taken  into  affiliation' 

with  the  University,  and  progress  has  already  been 

made  towards  a  similar  arrangement  with  the  Okana- 

gan  College  in  B.C. 

In  1908  a  controversy  arose  about  the  critical  views 

of  the  Bible,  which  was  reported  as  being  taught  in  ; 


i8o         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

the  Old  Testament  Department.  After  more  than 
two  years  consideration  and  investigation  by  the  Uni 
versity  Senate,  and  a  somewhat  wide  discussion 
throughout  the  whole  Convention,  action  was  taken  by 
the  Convention  at  its  meeting  in  Bloor  Street  Church  in 
October,  1910.  The  action  was  an  endorsation  of  the 
general  position  defined  by  the  Faculty  and  the  Senate 
and  at  the  same  time  asserted  the  essentially  conserva 
tive  attitude  of  the  denomination. 

An  important  decision  made  by  the  Board  of  Gover 
nors  in  1910  was  that  the  University  should  be  removed 
to  some  location  where  sufficient  grounds  could  be 
secured  for  all  future  developments.  The  first  step 
was  taken  towards  this,  in  the  sale  of  the  Campus 
on  Dupont  Street  for  $51,000. 

The  Baptist  Union  of  Canada.  In  1905  and 
1906  an  agitation  was  carried  on  with  the  end  in 
view  of  bringing  about  a  Union  of  all  the  Bap 
tist  Conventions  in  Canada.  A  large  committee  was 
appointed  and  for  two  years  this  committee  or  different 
members  of  it  visited  both  the  Western  and  the  Mari 
time  Conventions.  Ultimately  a  constitution  was  pre 
pared  and  a  Convention  was  called  to  meet  at  Ottawa 
immediately  at  the  close  of  the  General  Convention. 
A  large  delegation  was  present,  both  from  the  Mari 
time  Provinces  and  from  the  far  West.  After  a 
lengthened  and  lively  discussion  it  was  decided  to 
postpone  decision  until  the  Boards  and  Associations 
could  pronounce  upon  the  plan.  The  following  year, 
in  Hamilton,  the  plan  was  abandoned  in  favor  of  a 
quadrennial  inspirational  convention  and  a  union  in 
Foreign  work. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  181 

3.  MISSIONS. 

(1)  The   Laymen's  Missionary  Movement.     This 
movement   is   of   such   recent   origin   and   has   been 
so  constantly  before   the   churches   during  the   past 
three  years  that  little  need  be  said  regarding  it.     It 
needs,  however,  to  be  remembered  that  this  movement 
is  not  an  organization,  but  is  simply  a  "  movement " 
for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  interest  and  enlarg 
ing  the  liberality  of  the  men  of  all  our  churches  to 
wards  the  great  cause  of  Missions,  both  Home  and 
Foreign,  and  to  deepen  the  spirituality  of  the  whole 
membership  of  the  churches.     During  the  first  two 
years  much  progress  has  been  made  towards  these 
desirable  objects,  and  there  is  every  indication  that 
the  inauguration  of  this  movement  will  be  the  great 
est  event  in  the  history  of  modern  missions. 

(2)  Secretarial  Changes.       Foreign  Missions.     In 
1891,  Rev.  John  McLaurin,  D.D.,  resigned  the  secre 
taryship  of  the  Board,   and  Rev.   D.   G.   McDonald 
was    appointed    temporarily    in    his    place.      In    the 
autumn    of     1892,     Rev.     A.     P.     McDiarmid     was 
appointed.      He  "began  his  duties  in   1893,  and    con 
tinued  till  1899,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  position 
of  Principal  of  Brandon  College.     In  the  same  year, 
Rev.  J.  G.  Brown,  a  returned  missionary,  was  appointed 
to  the  position. 

Home  Missions.  In  1889,  Rev.  Alexander  Grant 
resigned  the  Superintendency  to  accept  the  call  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Winnipeg.  The  Rev.  J.  P. 
McEwen,  then  pastor  in  Stratford,  was  appointed  to 
the  position.  He  continued  in  the  office  till  February, 
1901,  when  he  was  removed  by  death.  The  Rev.  W.  E. 


182         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Norton,  then  pastor  in  Owen  Sound,  was  chosen  for 
the  position  in  April  following. 

Treasurers.  It  is  a  somewhat  remarkable  fact  that 
in  the  60  years  work  of  the  Home  Mission  Board  there 
have  been  only  seven  treasurers,  and  further,  that  with 
the  exception  of  two  years  the  work  has  been  done 
without  remuneration.  The  names  of  the  treasurers 
in  the  order  of  service  are  as  follows : — A.  T.  McCord, 
Toronto;  Wm.  Winter,  Brantford;  Benjamin  Bell,  St. 
George;  John  Stark,  Toronto;  Harry  L.  Stark, 
Toronto;  Rev.  E.  T.  Fox,  Toronto;  Rev.  C.  J.  Cam 
eron,  Toronto,  and  Rev.  E.  T,  Fox  for  a  second  period. 

4.  LEADERS. 

It  would  be  both  presumption  and  'bad  taste  for 
the  writer  of  this  sketch  to  express  opinions  or  pass 
judgment  upon  the  men  who  have  been  leading  the 
Van  in  our  denominational  life  and  work  during  this 
last  period.  Most  of  them  are  amongst  us  and  still 
in  active  service.  A  few  have  passed  on  and  a  few 
are  on  the  retired  list.  Concerning  these  a  few  words 
may  not  be  out  of  place. 

Theodore  Harding  Rand,  M.A.,  D.C.L.,  LL.D. 
Dr.  Rand  was  recognized  as  a  great  educationist  in  the 
Maritime  Provinces  long  before  coming  to  Ontario. 
He  came  to  McMaster  in  1885  to  accept  a  professor 
ship.  The  next  year  he  was  appointed  Principal  of 
Woodstock  College.  While  there  he  did  much  to 
shape  the  future  educational  policy  of  the  denomina 
tion.  After  two  years  he  returned  to  MoMaster  as 
Professor  of  Didactics  and  Philosophy.  After  Dr. 
MacVicar's  resignation  as  Chancellor  of  the  University, 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  183 

Dr.  Rand  was  appointed  to  that  position  in  1892,  and 
served  until  1895,  when  he  resigned,  and  again  retired 
to  the  Professor's  Chair.  He  continued  to  fill  that 
position,  to  the  delight  of  both  students  and  Faculty, 
until  his  death  in  1900.  Dr.  Rand  was  beloved  by 
all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  ripe  scholar,  a  cultured 
gentleman  and  a  devoted  Christian. 

Albert  Henry  Newman,  M.A.,  D.D.,  LL.D.  Dr. 
Newman  is  a  Southerner.  After  graduating  in  a 
Southern  University,  he  took  a  full  course  in  theology 
in  Rochester  and  Louisville.  He  came  to  Toronto 
Baptist  College  in  1881  as  Professor  in  Church  His 
tory.  During  his  20  years  in  McMaster  he  was  called 
upon  to  teach  almost  every  subject  on  the  calendar, 
and  always  responded  willingly  and  efficiently.  He 
resigned  in  1901,  to  accept  a  position  in  Baylor  Uni 
versity,  Texas.  Dr.  Newman's  wide  and  accurate 
scholarship  and  his  ability  for  original  research  and 
discovery  have  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  Church 
historians. 

Gates  C.  S.  Wallace,  M.A.,  D.D.,  LL.D.  Dr. 
Wallace  was  a  Maritime  Province  man,  but  came  to 
Toronto  from  a  New  England  Church  to  accept  the 
pastorate  of  the  Bloor  St.  Baptist  Church.  He  was 
appointed  Chancellor  of  McMaster  University  in  1895, 
and  remained  in  that  position  until  1905,  when  he 
resigned  to  return  to  -the  pastorate.  His  work  as 
Chancellor  is  still  projecting  itself  into  our  University 
life,  so  that  comment  would  be  unwise.  But  it  may 
be  said  that  his  personality  and  work  have  left  a  lasting 
impress  for  good  upon  the  life  of  the  University, 
upon  the  students  who  came  under  his  influence,  and 
upon  the  whole  Convention. 


BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Calvin  Goodspeed,  M.A.,  D.D.,  LL.D.  Many  of 
the  old  C.  L,.  I.  students  will  remember  Dr.  Good- 
speed  as  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Woodstock, 
subsequently  as  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology  in 
the  C.  L.  I.  before  the  Theological  Department  was 
removed  to  Toronto.  He  then  spent  some  time  in 
Germany  and  some  years  in  the  Maritime  Provinces 
as  pastor  and  editor  of  the  Messenger  and  Visitor, 
the  organ  of  the  Regular  Baptists  of  the  Maritime 
Provinces.  He  was  called  to  the  Chair  of  Systematic 
Theology  in  McMaster  University  in  1889,  a  position 
which  he  continued  to  fill  with  great  efficiency  until 
1905,  when  he,  like  Dr.  Newman,  resigned  to  accept 
a  position  in  Baylor  University.  Dr.  Goodspeed's 
accurate  scholarship,  virility  of  thought  and  expres 
sion,  his  keen  power  of  analysis  and  his  deep  spiritu 
ality  will  always  stamp  him  as  one  of  the  great  teachers 
of  the  University,  and  one  of  the  great  leaders  of 
Baptist  life. 

Daniel  M.  Welt  on,  M.A.,  D.D.  If  a  minister's 
power,  as  some  one  has  said,  is  "  his  message  multi 
plied  by  his  personality,"  then  Dr.  Welton  was  a  man 
of  great  power.  His  message  was  always  clear,  strong 
and  evangelical,  and  his  personality  was  equally  strong 
and  unusually  winsome.  He  also  was  a  Maritime 
man.  He  came  to  McMaster  as  Professor  in  Hebrew 
and  later  of  Old  Testament  Interpretation.  He  was 
an  enthusiast  in  his  profession,  a  preacher  of  unusual 
power  and  a  cultured  Christian  gentleman.  He  was 
called  to  the  higher  service  by  the  hand  of  death  in 
1904. 

George  Cross,  M.A.,  Ph.D.f  D.D.  Dr.  Cross  was 
so  recently  one  of  us  that  he  cannot  be  spoken  of  in 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  185 

the  past  tense.  His  keen  intellectual  grasp  of  educa 
tional  problems,  his  wide  and  varied  knowledge  upon 
theological  subjects,  his  accurate  scholarship,  his  earn 
est  piety  and  his  pleasing  personality  will  always  stamp 
him  as  a  leader  in  college  and  denominational  life 
wherever  he  may  be  placed. 

Rev.  John  P.  McEwen.  Mr.  McEwen  was  born 
in  the  Ottawa  district.  He  moved  to  Kincardine  town 
ship,  in  the  County  of  Bruce.  In  young  manhood  he 
was  converted  under  the  influence  of  the  preaching 
of  the  late  Dr.  Wilson.  After  deciding  for  the  minis 
try  he  went  to  Woodstock  for  his  educational  equip 
ment.  Upon  graduation  he  was  called  to  the  Old 
Osgoode  Church.  Osgoode,  Owen  Sound  and  Strat 
ford  were  his  pastorates.  He  came  to  the  position  of 
Superintendent  of  Home  Missions  in  1889  as  suc~ 
cessor  of  Rev.  Alex.  Grant.  His  twelve  years  in  that 
position  were  marked  by  strong  leadership,  wise 
administration,  impartial  judgments,  and  sympathetic 
dealing  with  both  churches  and  pastors.  He  was  one 
of  the  best  beloved  men  of  the  denomination.  He  was 
called  to  his  reward  in  February,  1901. 

Rev.  B.  D.  Thomas,  D.D.  Dr.  Thomas  is  a  Welsh 
man  and  a  son  of  a  Baptist  minister.  At  20  years  of 
age  he  was  pastor  at  Neath,  in  Wales.  From  there 
he  went  to  Pittston,  in  Pennsylvania,  thence  to  the 
First  Church,  Philadelphia,  and  from  there  to  Jarvis 
St.  Church,  Toronto,  in  1882.  Twenty  years  of  rich 
and  fruitful  service  in  our  Metropolitan  Church 
demonstrated  clearly  that  he  was  the  right  man  in 
the  right  place.  Dr.  Thomas'  strong  loyalty  to  his 
denomination,  his  love  for  his  brethren,  his  readiness 
to  help  them  in  every  possible  way,  his  eloquence  as  a 


i86         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

preacher  ana  his  delightful  personality,  have  won  for 
him  the  love  of  the  whole  denomination. 

Hon.  John  Dryden.  Mr.  Dryden  was  a  Canadian, 
and  a  man  of  whom  Canadians  may  well  feel  proud. 
Reared  on  a  farm,  'he  chose  farming  as  his  life 
occupation.  His  thoroughness  in  all  'his  work  soon 
gave  'him  a  place  in  the  front  ranks  of  agriculturists. 
His  abilities  and  general  good  judgment  secured  his 
election  to  the  provincial  legislature,  and  his  adminis 
trative  capacity  gave  him  a  seat  in  the  liberal  cabinet 
as  Minister  of  Agriculture.  In  his  religious  life  he 
was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  a  thorough  Baptist 
and  an  active  Christian  worker.  For  many  years  he 
was  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Governors  of 
McMaster  University,  and  in  1904  was  elected  Presi 
dent  of  the  Convention.  His  death  in  1910  removed 
one  of  the  strongest  leaders  and  one  of  the  best  loved 
men  in  the  Convention. 

Perhaps  the  list  of  Convention  leaders  can  not  be 
more  impartially  completed  than  by  giving  a  list  of 
the  past  Presidents  and  past  Secretary-Treasurers  of 
the  Convention  and  the  present  officers  of  the  Conven 
tion  with  the  Chairman,  Secretaries  and  Treasurers  of 
the  various  Boards. 

Past  President.  D.  E.  Thompson,  K.C.  LL.D. 
(1889-90),  D.  Bentley  (1890-91),  Rev.  B.  D.  Thomas, 
D.D.  (1891-92),  Rev.  E.  W.  Dadson,  B.A.,  D.D. 
(1892-93),  Rev.  D.  Hutchinson  (1893-94),  J.  S. 
Buchan,  Esq.  (1894-95),  Rev.  John  Dempsey,  D.D. 
(1895-96),  Rev.  T.  S.  Johnston,  D.D.  (1896-97),  Rev. 
Ira  Smith  (1897-98),  Prof.  J.  H.  Farmer,  LL.D. 
(1898-99),  John  Stark,  Esq.  (1899-1900),  Rev.  S.  S. 
Bates,  DJX  (1900-01),  A.  McNee,  Esq.  (1901-02), 


HOME  MISSION  LEADERS,   PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


REV.  J.  P.  McEwKN. 
REV.  0,  J.  CAMERON. 


REV.  A.  GRANT. 


MR.  JOHN  STARK. 
REV.  T.  L.  DAVIDSON. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  187 

Rev.  J.  L.  Gilmour,  D.D.  (1902-03),  Rev.  W.  J. 
McKay,  LL.D  (1903-04),  Hon.  John  Dryden  (1904- 
05),  Rev.  D.  Laing  (1905-06),  R.  D.  Warren,  Esq. 
(1906-07),  Rev.  J.  A.  Gordon,  D.D.  (1907-08),  Thos. 
Urquhart,  Esq.  (1908-09),  Rev.  A.  A.  Cameron,  D.D. 
(1909-10),  C.  J.  Holman,  K.C.  LL.  D.  (1910-11). 

Past  Secretary-Treasurers.  Rev.  James  Grant, 
(1889-91),  Rev.  D.  M.  Mi-hell,  M.  A.  (1891-1901),  Rev. 
P.  K.  Dayfoot,  M.A.  (1901-07),  Rev.  C.  J.  Cameron, 
B.A.  (1907-09),  Rev.  H.  C.  Priest,  B.A.  (1909-10), 
Rev,  C.  E.  McLeod  (1910-  ). 

Officers  of  Home  Mission  Board  in  1911.  Chair 
man,  John  Stark;  First  Vice-Chairman,  James  Ryrie; 
Second  Vice-Chairman,  Rev.  O.  C.  Elliott;  Superin 
tendent,  Rev.  W.  E.  Norton,  D.D. ;  Assistant  Superin 
tendent,  Rev.  C.  J.  Cameron,  B.A. ;  Secretary,  Rev.  J. 
B.  Kennedy,  M.A. ;  Treasurer,  Rev.  E.  T.  Fox. 

Officers  of  Foreign  Mission  Board,  1911.  Chair 
man,  J.  N.  Shenstone ;  Vice-Chairman,  William  Craig ; 
Secretary,  Rev.  J.  G.  Brown,  D.D.;  Treasurer,  Rev. 
E.  T.  Fox. 

Officers  of  Board  of  Governors  of  McMaster  Uni 
versity.  Chairman,  D.  E.  Thomson,  K.C.,  LL.D.; 
Treasurer,  J.  Short  McMaster ;  Registrar,  E.  J.  Ben- 
gough,  B.  A.;  Educational  Secretary,  Rev.  S.  S. 
Bates,  D.D. 

Sunday  School  Board.  Chairman,  H.  L.  Stark; 
Secretary,  Prof.  J.  L.  Gilmour,  D.D. ;  Treasurer,  Dr. 
E.  Ralph  Hooper;  Superintendent,  Rev.  P.  K.  Day- 
foot,  M.A. 

Publication  Board.  Chairman,  Fred  L.  Ratchffe; 
Treasurer,  E.  B.  Freeland;  Secretary  and  Business 
Manager,  R.  D.  Warren;  Editor  Canadian  Baptist, 
Rev.  W.  J.  McKay,  LL.D. 


188         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Church  Edifice  Board.  Chairman,  John  Stark; 
Vice-Chairman,  Edmund  Burke;  Secretary-Treasurer, 
Rev.  Wm.  John  Scott. 

Board  of  Western  Missions.  Chairman,  Rev.  John 
MacNeill,  B.A. ;  Vice-Chairman,  Rev.  James  Grant, 
D.D. ;  Recording  Secretary,  Rev.  W.  B.  Tighe ;  Field- 
Secretary,  Rev.  Walter  Daniel,  B.A. ;  Treasurer,  Rev. 
E.  T.  Fox. 

Ministerial  Superannuation  Board.  Chairman, 
William  Craig;  Treasurer,  H.  H.  Lloyd;  Secretary, 
Geo.  R.  Roberts. 

B.  Y.  P.  U.  of  Ontario  and  Quebec.  President, 
W.  H.  Hitchon ;  Vice-Presidents,  Rev.  H.  H.  Bingham, 
B.A.,  Mr.  W.  L.  McKinnon,  B.A.,  Rev.  Gordon  Baker, 
B.A.,  B.D. ;  Secretary-Treasurer,  Rev.  A.  L.  Brown, 
B.A. ;  Superintendents  of  Courses,  Sacred  Literature, 
Rev.  C.  H.  Schutt,  M.A.,  B.D.;  Bible  Readers,  Mr. 
A.  J.  Madill,  B.A. ;  Missionary,  Rev.  E.  R.  Fitch,  B.A., 
B.D. ;  Superintendent  of  Junior  Work,  Mr.  S.  Dale. 

The  Laymen's  Missionary  Movement  has  no  organic 
connection  with  the  Convention  and  yet  the  effect  of 
the  Movement  upon  the  life  and  work  of  the  churches 
has  been  so  beneficial  and  so  important  that  we  are 
justified  in  naming  some  of  its  leaders  as  denomina 
tional  leaders.  Chief  amongst  the  many  are: — Mr.  S. 
J.  Moore,  Mr.  J.  N.  Shenstone,  Mr.  James  Ryrie, 
Mr.  W.  C.  Senior,  Mr.  C.  J.  Bodley,  Mr.  Thomas 
Urquhart,  Mr.  E.  O.  Weston  and  Dr.  E.  R.  Hooper,  all 
of  Toronto;  Mr.  C.  Cook,  Brantford;  Mr.  Geo. 
McLagan,  Stratford;  Mr.  A.  D.  Kitchener,  Lindsay; 
Mr.  A.  E.  Matthews,  Ottawa;  Mr.  A.  A.  Ayer,  Mont 
real  ;  Mr.  C.  W.  Woodburn  and  Mr.  J.  K.  McDiarmid, 
London. 


ONTARIO   AND   QUEBEC  189 

5.  CHRISTIAN  UNION. 

Before  closing  this  historical  sketch,  it  is  expedient 
that  a  short  statement  be  made  regarding  the  attitude 
of  the  Baptists  of  these  two  Provinces  towards  the 
question  of  Church  Union.  It  is  a  well-known  fact 
that  the  Methodist,  Presbyterian  and  Congregation- 
alists  are  negotiating  a  Union.  It  is,  perhaps,  not 
so  generally  known  that  Baptists  and  Episcopalians 
were  invited  to  participate  in  these  negotiations. 

The  Convention  held  at  Peterboro  in  1906  appointed 
a  strong  committee  to  deal  with  the  question  and 
report  to  the  Convention.  The  Committee  prepared  a 
statement  of  the  Baptist  position  and  their  consequent 
attitude  towards  the  question  of  Union  with  other 
religious  bodies,  and  presented  it  at  a  joint  meeting 
of  representatives  of  the  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Con 
gregational  and  Baptist  Churches.  The  statement  was 
brief,  but  comprehensive,  and  as  it  embodied  all  the 
cardinal  or  fundamental  principles  which  have  differ 
entiated  Baptists  from  other  protestant  denominations, 
it  is  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  its  reproduc 
tion  in  this  sketch.  It  will  be  seen  by  a  careful  study 
of  this  statement  that  so  long  as  Baptists  hold  and 
teach  and  practise  the  doctrines  that  grow  out  of  these 
principles  it  will  be  impossible  for  them  to  enter  into 
any  organic  union  that  would  ignore  these  principles. 
The  statement  is  subjoined  with  the  strong  recom 
mendation  that  it  receive  careful  study  by  every 
reader  of  these  pages. 

Report  of  the  Committee  of  the  Baptist  Convention 
of  Ontario  and  Quebec  on  Church  Union,  1907.  Com 
mittee  :— Prof .  J.  H.  Farmer,  LL.D.,  Prof.  Geo.  Cross, 


190         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Ph.D.,  Rev.  J.  A.  Gordon,  D.D.,  Rev.  S.  S.  Bates,  D.D., 
Rev.  H.  F.  Perry,  D.D.,  Rev.  A.  A.  Cameron,  D.D., 
Rev.  T.  S.  Johnston,  D.D.,  Rev.  J.  G.  Brown,  D.D., 
Rev.  W.  M.  Walker,  B.A.,  Rev.  W.  J.  McKay,  LL.D., 
Rev.  W.  E.  Norton,  D.D.,  Prof.  J.  L.  Gilmour,  D.D., 
Mr.  D.  E.  Thomson,  K.C.,  LL.D.,  Mr.  J.  G.  Scott, 
K.C.,  and  Mr.  R.  D.  Warren. 

On  behalf  of  the  Baptist  Convention  of  Ontario 
and  Quebec,  we  desire  to  express  to  the  United  Com 
mittees  of  the  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  and  Congre- 
gationalist  bodies  our  deep  appreciation  of  their  Chris 
tian  courtesy  in  inviting  us  to  a  Conference  with  a 
Special  Committee  on  the  "  Question  of  the  Union  of 
Protestant  Christian  bodies  in  Canada."  We  also 
desire  to  congratulate  them  on  the  substantial  progress 
which  appears  to  have  been  made  towards  such  a  union 
by  the  three  bodies  which  have  hitherto  been  engaged 
in  these  negotiations. 

In  regard  to  our  own  relation  to  this  movement 
permit  us  to  present  the  following  statement  as  expres 
sive  of  the  position  which  we  feel  compelled  to  take: 

The  Baptist  people  rejoice  in  all  the  manifestations 
of  mutual  love  among  -the  followers  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  seek  on  their  own  part  to  cultivate  a  holy  fellow 
ship  with  all  Christians.  They  recognize  with  thank 
fulness  the  gracious  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
among  their  brethren  of  other  denominations,  and 
feel  themselves  to  be  one  with  them  in  many  of  those 
things  which  concern  the  progress  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God  on  the  earth.  At  the  same  time  they  do  not  admit 
that  the  organic  union  of  all  Christians  is  an  essential 
condition  of  Christian  unity,  or  even  necessarily  pro- 
motive  of  it.  For  Christians  who  differ  on  questions 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  191 

which  some  of  them  hold  to  be  of  vital  importance,  it 
is  surely  better  to  admit  the  impracticability  of  cor 
porate  union  than  to  seek  to  compass  such  a  union 
at  the  cost  of  sacrificing  cherished  convictions. 

In  their  organization  of  independent  local  churches, 
and  in  their  associational  gatherings  and  conventions, 
Baptists  have  not  infrequently  made  use  of  brief 
statements  of  doctrines  which  they  hold  to  be  Chris 
tian,  as  a  basis  of  mutual  co-operation,  but  they  do 
not  seek  to  establish  a  uniform  confession  for  all 
their  churches,  nor  do  they  regard  assent  to  any  fixed 
confessional  statement  as  a  pre-requisite  to  member 
ship  in  a  Baptist  church  or  to  a  place  in  the  Baptist 
ministry.  They  feel  that  the  free  and  independent 
interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  by  each  man  for  him 
self,  combined  with  the  spirit  of  love  and  obedience, 
is  not  only  promotive  of  earnest  reflection  on  divine 
things  and  strength  of  personal  conviction,  but  is  a 
surer  and  more  enduring  way  of  securing  unity  among 
Christians.  They  oppose  any  tendency  to  erect  a 
human  standard  of  authority  over  the  conscience,  to 
lessen  the  sense  of  direct  personal  responsibility  to 
God,  or  to  obscure  the  consciousness  of  immediate 
relationship  with  Him.  Accordingly,  while  they  enter 
tain  a  deep  respect  for  various  historic  Christian 
creeds,  they  are  not  solicitous  to  identify  themselves 
with  these  creeds  or  to  claim  any  organic  union  with 
the  churches  that  established  them  as  standards  of 
belief. 

The  Baptist  people  regard  all  truly  religious  affilia 
tions  as  reposing,  on  the  one  hand,  on  God's  gracious 
self-communication  to  human  souls,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  on  each  man's  free  acceptance  of  the  Divine 


i92         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

grace  and  obedience  to  the  Divine  will.  As  we  under 
stand  the  Scriptures,  only  those  who  are  subjects  of 
such  a  spiritual  experience  are  capable  of  participation 
in  Christian  fellowship,  or  entitled  to  membership  in 
a  Christian  church.  Believing,  therefore,  in  the  spirit 
uality  of  the  Christian  church,  that  is,  that  a  Christian 
church  is  constituted  by  a  voluntary  union  of  those 
alone  who  by  personal  repentance  and  faith, — not  by 
natural  birth,  nor  by  proxy,  nor  by  ceremony,  nor  by 
any  overt  act  of  the  church, — have  come  into  fellow 
ship  with  God  in  Christ,  they  do  not  regard  the  claim 
to  ecclesiastical  succession  in  any  of  its  forms  as  a 
matter  of  concern  to  them.  They  acknowledge  an 
historical  succession  from  Christ  and  His  apostles ; 
but  its  nature  is  spiritual,  not  ecclesiastical,  coming 
through  personal  influence  and  the  proclamation  of 
the  Gospel,  not  by  means  of  forms,  rites,  or  cere 
monies. 

The  same  principle  prevents  them  from  admitting 
knowingly  to  church  membership  any  except  those 
who  have  ibeen  spiritually  renewed.  Thus  they  can 
not  regard  the  children  of  Christian  parents  as  entitled 
by  birth  or  membership  in  a  Christian  household  to 
a  place  in  a  Christian  church  or  as  proper 
subjects  of  its  ordinances.  I't  cannot  be  granted 
that  the  Christian  ordinances  of  Baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper  convey  in  any  sense  to  their 
recipients  the  spiritual  grace  which  they  symbolize, 
for  they  have  meaning  and  value  only  as  they  express 
the  faith  and  grace  already  possessed  by  those  who  in 
these  acts  of  obedience  confess  their  relation  to  Christ. 
Hence  the  practice  of  infant  baptism  and  the  conse 
quences  which  follow  it  are  a  fatal  impediment  to 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  193 

organic  union  between  the  Baptist  and  Paedo-Baptist 
churches.  Hence,  also,  the  impossibility  of  Baptists 
consenting  to  any  alteration  of  the  original  mode  of 
baptism,  because  without  the  immersion  its  representa 
tion  of  the  believer's  union  with  Christ  in  His  death 
and  resurrection  is  lost.  Further,  the  doctrine  of  the 
spirituality  of  the  Christian  church  demands  that  it 
avoid  all  alliance  with  secular  authorities.  Such 
alliances  have  been  fruitful  of  evil. 

The  Baptist  /belief  in  the  immediacy  of  each  man's 
relations  with  God,  and  in  the  necessity  of  personal 
faith  in  Christ  in  order  to  salvation,  carries  with  it 
the  universal  priesthood  of  believers,  and  the  rejection 
of  all  forms  of  church  polity  which  admit  the  spiritual 
distinction  of  clergy  -and  laity,  or  t'he  subjection  of 
the  individual  Christian  to  any  spiritual  authority  but 
Christ  Himself.  This  does  not  exclude  the  necessary 
disciplinary  function  of  the  local  church,  but  in  reality 
carries  with  it  the  dignity  and  autonomy  of  that 
organization  and  its  freedom  from  all  subjection  to  a 
higher  authority. 

It  is  because  of  these  principles  which  represent 
to  them  the  Divine  will  that  the  Baptists  find  it  neces 
sary  to  maintain  a  separate  organized  existence.  In 
relation  to  these  matters  they  can  make  no  compro 
mise,  but  feel  themselves  under  a  divinely  imposed 
obligation  to  propagate  their  views  throughout  the 
world. 

W.  E.  NORTON, 

Chairman. 

R.  D.  WARREN, 

Secretary. 


i94         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 
6.  THE  GERMAN  BAPTISTS. 

German  Baptist  history  in  Ontario  dates  back  to  the 
year  1848,  when  Rev.  August  Rauschenbusch,  later 
Professor  in  Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  and 
father  of  Prof.  Walther  Rauschenibusch,  the  gifted 
author  of  "  Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis,"  made 
a  trip  of  five  weeks  to  the  German  settlements  in  the 
"  Bush  "  of  Waterloo  County.  At  that  time  he  Was 
a  Lutheran,  but  in  1850  he  became  a  Baptist.  On  his 
recommendation  colporteurs  were  sent  to  follow  up  his 
visit  by  the  American  Tract  Society.  One  of  these, 
Henrich  Schneider,  was  particularly  successful,  hav 
ing  six  regular  preaching  stations.  Led  to  a  study  of 
the  Scriptures  through  Mr.  Rauschenbusch's  refusal 
to  baptize  his  child,  he  came  to  accept  views  much 
akin  to  the  Baptists'.  In  June,  1851,  Mr.  Rauschen 
busch  again  visited  Canada,  and  spent  four  months 
with  Mr.  Schneider.  A  great  revival  was  experienced 
and  forty-five  were  immersed  by  him.  The  first 
church  was  organized  in  Bridgeport  on  the  loth  of 
September,  1851.  Mr.  Schneider  was  ordained  the 
following  year,  and  continued  as  pastor  of  Bridge 
port  (afterwards  Berlin)  Church  until  1863.  In  1853, 
Wi'lmot  Centre  (now  Ne,w  Hamburg)  and  Woolwich 
churches  were  organized.  From  the  latter  settlers 
moved  northward  into  Bruce  County,  where  Neustadt 
Church  was  organized  in  1859.  Through  the  labors 
of  Rev.  John  Stumhif  and  others  the  churches  now 
known  as  Elmwood  and  Hanover  were  organized  in 
Bruce  Co.,  and  Mulgrave  in  Que.,  in  1866.  Rev. 
Edward  Gruetzser,  Rev.  H.  Kose  and  Rev.  Jacobi  Fell- 
man  were  other  worthy  pioneers.  Tavistock,  1862 


ONTARIO    AND    QUEBEC  195 

(now  English),  and  Logan  and  Zurich,   1863,  were 
founded  to  the  south. 

Arnprior  became  a  centre  in  the  east  where  Rev. 
J.  J.  Valkenaar  did  pioneer  work.  Through  the  influ 
ence  of  the  church  organized,  Sevastopol,  Lynedoch 
and  Killaloe  churches  were  formed.  At  present 
(1911)  there  are  twelve  German  Baptist  churches,  of 
which  two,  Berlin  and  New  Hamburg,  have  both  Eng 
lish  and  German  services.  They  reported  for  1910  a 
membership  of  1,153,  with  70  baptisms,  raised  for 
local  expenses  $9,129,  for  missionary  purposes  over 
$3,000,  and  a  S.S.  enrolment  of  987. 

The  churches  are  organized  into  the  Canadian  Mis 
sionary  Society  and  the  Renfrew  County  Association, 
which  meet  annually.  They  are,  moreover,  united 
with  the  Eastern  Conference  of  the  German  Baptist 
churches  of  North  America.  In  addition  some  are 
members  of  the  local  associations  making  up  the  Bap 
tist  Convention  of  Ontario  and  Quebec. 

Many  of  the  German  churches,  owing  to  the  changed 
conditions  in  education  and  work,  are  in  a  transition 
stage  from  German  to  Englis'h.  The  time  may  come 
when  all  will  be  English,  but  of  this  we  may  be  cer 
tain,  that,  whether  English  or  German,  they  will  con 
tinue  to  stand  true,  as  they  have  so  courageously 
done  in  the  past,  to  our  Baptist  faith  and  practice. 


PART  III.-GRANDE-LIGNE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  GRANDE-LIGNE  MISSION. 
i.  BEGINNINGS. 

To  trace  the  record  of  Grand-Ligne  Mission  from 
its  beginning  we  need  to  go  back  to  the  early  part  of 
last  century.  At  that  time  a  great  revival,  under 
Robert  Haldane,  swept  over  the  reformed  churches 
of  Europe.  Among  the  many  who  were  converted  in 
the  city  of  Lausanne,  Switzerland,  was  Mme.  Feller, 
who  was  to  become  the  founder  of  Grande-Ligne. 
The  revival  resulted  in  the  organization  of  a  mission 
ary  training  institute,  and  in  the  formation  of  a  mis 
sionary  society.  Both  of  these  are  closely  interwoven 
with  the  beginnings  of  our  Grande-Ligne  work. 

(l)  M.  and  Mme.  Olivier,  Messrs.  Gavin  and 
Denton  were  among  the  first  to  offer  for  missionary 
service  abroad.  M.  Olivier  was  pastor  of  the  Lau 
sanne  Church,  while  the  last  two  were  students  at 
the  Institute.  They  chose  Canada  as  their  field  and 
reached  Montreal  in  October,  1834.  Rev.  Mr.  Per 
kins,  of  the  American  Presbyterian  Church,  received 
them  with  sympathy  and  gave  them  assistance.  Mont 
real  had  then  a  population  of  30,000  souls,  most  of 

197 


198         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

whom  spoke  French  and  were  Roman  Catholic.  Pas 
tor  Olivier  preached  in  Montreal  and  also  in  St. 
Johns,  Berthier  and  Laprairie.  As  a  result  of  the 
first  year's  work,  three  persons  were  led  to  Christ. 
Messrs.  Gavin  and  Denton  went  West  the  following 
spring.  During  that  winter,  the  Oliviers  became  con 
vinced  of  the  truth  of  the  believer's  baptism  and  were 
baptized  by  the  Rev.  John  Gilmour.  This  severed  their 
relations  with  the  Society  of  Lausanne  and  left  them  to 
their  resources.  By  giving  private  lessons  and  taking 
boarders  they  supported  themselves. 

(2)  Mme.  Feller  and  Louis  Roussy.  Mme. 
Feller's  life,  up  to  the  departure  of  the  Oliviers,  had 
been  one  of  much  sorrow  yet  of  glad  service.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Henrietta  Odin.  She  was  born 
April  22nd,  1800,  in  Montagny,  a  village  near  Lau 
sanne.  Her  early  life,  while  one  of  gayety,  was  filled 
with  service  for  others.  Being  of  a  deeply  religious 
nature,  she  united  with  the  National  Church  of  Swit 
zerland  and  spent  much  time  in  visiting  the  hospitals. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  she  married  M.  Louis 
Feller,  of  Lausanne.  Their  only  child,  Elize,  died  in 
1825,  at  the  age  of  three  years.  It  was  soon  after  this 
that  Mme.  Feller  found  peace  in  Christ.  The  deaths 
of  her  husband,  in  1827,  and  that  of  her  much-loved 
sister,  in  1829,  brought  her  very  near  to  her  Saviour, 
and  for  the  next  six  years  she  devoted  herself  almost 
entirely  to  the  service  of  the  poor  and  needy.  When 
word  came  from  the  Oliviers  telling  of  the 
great  need  in  Canada  she  felt  it  to  be  the 
call  of  God  and  prepared  to  respond.  Louis 
Roussy,  born  in  1808,  at  Vevey,  a  student  at 
the  Institute,  also  offered  himself.  Together  they 


GRANDE-LIGNE  199 

left  Havre,  France,  September  2Oth,  and  landed  in 
New  York,  Octo'ber  23rd,  1835.  They  journeyed  up 
the  Hudson  River  and  Lake  Champlain  to  St.  John's, 
P.Q.,  landing  there  October  3ist,  thence  to  Laprairie 
by  stage-coach,  a  distance  of  fourteen  miles,  then 
across  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Montreal.  At  once  Mme. 
Feller  began  her  work,  visiting  from  house  to  house, 
and  meeting  treatment  very  similar  to  that  which  our 
Bible-women  experience  to-day.  She  also  opened  a 
school  with  seven  regular  pupils;  others  came  and 
went,  being  driven  away  by  the  priests.  Mr.  Roussy 
secured  a  Roman  Catholic  district  school  at  Lacadie, 
a  few  miles  from  Grande-Ligne.  But  his  missionary 
zeal  was  too  conspicuous  and  he  was  dismissed  after 
two  months  by  the  authority  of  the  parish  priest.  Con 
versions,  however,  had  taken  place ;  the  first  of  which 
was  that  of  Mme.  Lore,  who,  in  time,  was  largely  the 
means  of  bringing  her  whole  family  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  Her  triumphant  death  also  produced  a 
deep  impression  on  all  who  knew  her.  In  Montreal, 
one  door  after  another  was  closed  to  Mme.  Feller,  and 
finally  it  became  unsafe  for  her  to  remain  there.  She 
removed  to  St.  Johns,  where  Mr.  Roussy  labored. 
But  opposition  became  so  bitter  that  they  decided  to 
leave  there  also.  On  the  other  hand,  openings  for  the 
truth  were  known  to  exist  at  Grande-Ligne,  seven 
miles  away,  and  in  September,  1836,  two  small  rooms 
in  the  garret  of  the  house  of  Mr.  Leveque  were  rented 
and  there  began  a  work  the  development  of  which  will 
presently  be  seen. 

(3)  Return  of  the  Oliviers.  In  the  meantime,  the 
climate  of  Canada  proving  too  severe  for  Pastor 
Olivier,  he  had  returned  to  Switzerland  in  the  spring 
of  the  same  year. 


200         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 
2.  LAYING  FOUNDATIONS. 

(1)  First  Fruits.       In  her  new  home,  Mme.  Feller 
opened  a   day  school   which  soon  numbered  twelve 
children.    In  the  evening  she  held  a  Bible  class.    Mr. 
Roussy  had  his  headquarters  at  Beau-Jarret,  a  few 
miles  distant.     He  did  colportage  work  in  the  neigh 
borhood  and  especially  along  la  Grande-Ligne,  a  road 
passing  through  a  then  sparsely  settled  district.     He 
preached,   when   he  could   gather  hearers,   in   Mme. 
Feller's  school  and  elsewhere.    Conversions  took  place, 
and  soon  twenty  people  had  abandoned  the  Church 
of  Rome,  six  of  them  giving  evidence  of  a  new  life. 
Success  developed  opposition,  and  many  children  were 
withdrawn  from  the  school,  but  the  missionaries  had 
won  the  confidence  of  the  people  and  criticism  was' 
disarmed. 

(2)  Retreat.       Things    went    favorably    until    the 
Rebellion  of  1837  broke  out.    By  the  English  the  new 
Protestants  were  suspected  of  being  rebels;  by  the 
rebels  they  were  accused  of  disloyalty  to  the  cause. 
Violence  ensued.     Mr.  Roussy  was  shot  at  one  even 
ing,  but  was  not  hurt.     The  missionaries  and  their 
friends  decided  to  leave  the  country  for  a  while.  They 
crossed  to  Champlain,  N.Y.,  30  miles  distant,  where 
they  were  kindly  treated   by   Christian  people,   and 
remained  for  two  months. 

(3)  Return.       On  returning  they  found  their  pro 
perty  devastated  and  for  a  time  were  in  great  distress. 
Many  earnest  prayers  ascended  to  the  throne  of  grace, 
for  help.     These  prayers  were  answered  and  a  con 
siderable  sum  of  money  was  received  from  Switzer 
land,  which  relieved  their  immediate  needs.    Had  the 


GRANDE-LIGNE  201 

missionaries  and  the  Protestants  sought  to  recover 
damages  for  their  losses  they  would  doubtless  have 
succeeded,  but  the  forgiving  spirit  they  displayed  was 
most  admirable.  Mme.  Feller  went  to  Montreal,  cross 
ing  the  St.  Lawrence  in  a  small  boat  between  the: 
dangerous  ice-floes,  interceded  with  the  governor  and 
obtained  the  pardon  of  some  of  the  rebels  who  had 
injured  them.  The  results  were  most  beneficial  to 
the  cause,  and  the  work  made  encouraging  progress. 

(4)  Progress.  In  1838  there  were  40  children  in 
attendance  at  the  school  and  about  60  persons  in 
Grande-Ligne  and  neighborhood  interested  in  the 
Gospel.  In  September,  1839,  the  first  church  was 
organized  with  a  membership  of  14  persons.  At  that 
time  Dr.  Kirk,  Secretary  of  the  Foreign  Evangelical 
Society  of  New  York,  accompanied  Mme.  Feller  to 
various  cities  of  the  United  States  to  obtain  funds. 
The  Canadian  Baptist  Missionary  Society  also  came 
to  her  assistance.  As  the  school  accommodations  were 
far  too  limited,  Mme.  Feller  and  Dr.  Kirk  made 
another  collecting  tour  in  the  United  States,  with  a 
view  to  erecting  a  new  building.  Many  ladies'  socie 
ties,  previously  organized  by  Mme.  Feller,  rendered 
help,  and  the  money  was  raised.  In  due  time  a  large 
and  handsome  building  was  completed.  Dr.  Kirk 
preached  at  the  dedicatory  services,  August  4th,  1840, 
both  in  French  and  in  English.  There  were  thirty 
converts  present  and  a  few  strangers.  The  building 
cost  about  $10,000,  exclusive  of  much  timber  cut  on 
the  farm,  the  free  services  of  Mr.  Roussy  as  super 
visor,  and  help  from  the  converts. 

Early  Helpers.  With  a  larger  school,  another 
teacher  was  greatly  needed.  The  missionaries  prayed 


202         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

and  expected.  One  day,  in  1841,  a  young  man,  Priest 
Normandeau,  who  had  studied  the  Bible,  came  and 
compared  his  own  new  belief  with  that  held  by  these 
Swiss  missionaries.  He  received  clearer  light  and 
remained  in  the  mission-house,  giving  to  the  Lord  the 
benefit  of  his  experience  as  teacher  in  a  theological 
seminary  in  the  city  of  Quebec.  For  many  years  he 
labored  as  a  missionary  of  Grande-Ligne.  He  died 
June  loth,  1891.  In  the  following  year,  1842,  Dr. 
Cote,  who  was  exiled  for  the  part  he  had  taken  in  the 
Rebellion,  was  led  into  the  truth,  and  later  his  wife 
joined  him  in  the  faith.  They  both  devoted  themselves 
to  the  work.  The  joy  of  the  missionaries  at  such 
additions  to  their  staff  can  be  more  easily  conceived 
than  described.  Later,  the  son  of  Dr.  Cote,  after 
qualifying  as  a  physician,  became  a  missionary  of 
Grande-Ligne  for  a  time  and  subsequently  went  as 
a  missionary  to  Rome.  About  that  time  also  came 
two  young  men  from  a  neighboring  village,  who  were 
destined  to  play  a  very  important  part  in  French 
evangelization.  These  were  Theodore  Lafleur  and 
Narcisse  Cyr.  Both  these  men  completed  their  studies 
in  Geneva.  About  that  period  other  missionaries  from 
Europe  were  also  connected  with  this  work,  among 
whom  we  might  mention  Messrs.  Wolff,  Gavin,  Cellier 
and  Charbonnel. 

Success.  The  work  continued  to  advance  until,  in 
1848,  the  mission  family  at  Grande-Ligne  consisted  of 
37  persons,  including  the  missionaries.  Fifteen  were 
in  preparation  to  become  colporteurs  and  teachers. 
There  was  a  day  school  of  30  scholars.  On  the  field 
there  were  18  missionaries,  colporteurs  and  teachers. 
20  mission  stations  and  about  180  children  under 


GRANDE-LIGNE  203 

instruction  in  different  places,  and  about  the  same 
number  of  church  members  in  those  fields,  and  up 
wards  of  300  persons  who  had  left  the  Church  of 
Rome. 

(5)  Affiliation.  Up  to  this  time  the  Mission  had 
been  in  the  strange  position  of  teaching  the  immersion 
of  the  believer,  while  some  of  the  workers  themselves 
were  not  immersed.  Mme.  Feller  and  Mr.  Roussy 
were  baptized  by  Dr.  Cote  in  1847.  It  was  then  decided 
to  seek  affiliation  with  the  Canadian  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  and  the  Mission  became  part  of  that  organiza 
tion.  Because  of  this,  many  Ladies'  Associations  and 
friends  in  other  denominations  turned  their  gifts  into 
other  channels. 

Having  to  support  the  Baptist  College  at  Montreal 
and  other  work,  the  Canadian  Society  found  the 
"  Swiss  Mission  "  too  heavy  a  burden  to  carry  unaided. 
The  American  Baptist  Mission  Society  came  gener 
ously  to  their  aid.  By  this  action  interest  in  the 
French  work  was  increased  in  Quebec,  Ontario  and 
the  United  States.  That  far-seeing  Christian  states 
man,  Dr.  Fyfe,  greatly  helped  the  cause  by  his  own 
personal  efforts  in  Canada  and  in  the  United  States, 
even  accompanying  Mme.  Feller  as  she  journeyed  to 
secure  funds,  pleading  its  cause  with  his  well-known 
earnestness.  It  was  thus  that  God  laid  upon  the  Bap 
tists  the  obligation  and  privilege  of  carrying  on  this 
noble  work  of  evangelizing  the  French-Canadian. 

3.  THE  SCHOOL  AT  GRANDE-LIGNE. 
1848-1850.     Between  the  years   1848-1850,  in  the 
mission  house  with  Mme.  Feller  and  Mr.  Roussy,  were 
young  men  such  as  Toussaint  Riendeau,  pupil  teacher; 


204         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

J.  N.  Williams,  Narcisse  Duval,  Louis  Auger,  and  a 
number  of  other  students.  In  August,  1849,  tne 
ordination  to  the  Gospel  ministry  of  Narcisse  Cyr  took 
place.  The  next  year  Mr.  Roussy  was  called  away 
to  St.  Pie,  and  then  to  Ste.  Marie.  Mme.  Feller  con 
tinued  her  work  at  Grande-Ligne,  having  the  oversight 
of  everything  from  cellar  to  garret,  and  receiving 
visitors  from  the  different  fields. 

(1)  Girls'  School.        The  mission  house  being  too 
small  for  the  number  of  students,  a  girls'  school  was 
built  at  St.  Pie,  a  spot  difficult  of  access,  in  1850.  These 
premises  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1854,  and  the  school 
removed   to   Longueuil,   just   across    the   river    from 
Montreal.    There,  in  a  large  building,  under  the  super 
vision   of  Mme.   Lafleur,   Miles.  Jonte,   Brocher  and 
Cuendet,  the  institution  was  placed  on  a  higher  and 
broader  basis.    This  was  the  original  Feller  Institute. 
In  it  many  a  French-Canadian  woman  received  good 
mental  culture  and,  above  all,  a  saving  knowledge  of 
Jesus  Christ.     In  1871,  Rev.  Charles  Roux  and  Mrs. 
Roux  took  charge  of  the  school.    Mr.  Roux  came  from 
France   to   Canada    in    1851,    was   employed   by   the 
Mission  for  some  time,  then  taught  French  in  Bishop's 
College,  Lennoxville.    Mrs.  Roux  was  a  Canadian  and 
had  been  principal  of  the  girls'  school  at  Pointe-aux- 
Trembles.     They  were  both  well  qualified   for  their 
task.    In  1857,  Mr.  Roussy  came  back  to  take  charge 
of  the  church  (occupied  in  the  interim  by  Mr.  Norman- 
deau)  and  to  help  in  the  school. 

(2)  Varying  Fortune.      Mme.  Feller  passed  to  her 
heavenly  rest  in  1868.    The  following  autumn  M.  and 
Mme.   Normandeau  were  called  to  Grande-Ligne  to 
superintend  the  Institute.     These  were  trying  times; 


GRANDE-LIGNE  205 

the  absence  of  Mme.  Feller  was  felt  and  finances  were 
at  a  low  ebb.  A  limited  number  of  English  boys  were 
taken,  as  a  financial  help.  After  two  years,  Mr. 
Normandeau  resigned  and  M.  and  Mme.  Brouillet 
took  charge.  Their  administration  was  characterized 
by  cleanliness,  order  and  economy.  Then  came  M. 
and  Mme.  J.  D.  Rossier  for  -two  years.  This  period 
was  marked  by  a  great  religious  awakening,  with  a  cor 
responding  movement  at  Longueuil.  Several  of  the  field 
men  of  to-day  look  back  upon  M.  Rossier's  principal- 
ship  as  the  time  of  their  new  birth.  During  that 
period  of  mutation,  the  English  department  of  studies 
was  under  the  care  of  Mile.  Stevens  (Mme.  F.  Roy), 
Louis  Bly  and  Adam  Burwash.  M.  Rossier  left  for 
the  United  States  and  the  school  was  closed  for  a  year 
for  want  of  men  and  money.  This  was  the  third  time 
such  had  happened. 

(3)  Feller  Institute.         In    1876,    M.    and    Mme. 
Roux  were  called  from  Longueuil,  where  success  had 
attended  their  labor.    The  buildings  there  having  been 
sold  for  the  sum  of  $7,500,  the  two  schools  were  united 
at  Grande-Ligne  under  the  name  of  Feller  Institute, 
with  Mr.  Roux  as  principal.    This  was  opened  October 
10,  ib>6,  with  27  girls  and  35  boys.    From  the  first  the 
need  of  more  room  was  felt. 

(4)  East  Wing.       To  meet  this  need  the  east  wing 
was  built  in  1880  and  dedicated  July  1st.    Rev.  A.  H. 
Munro,   President  of  the   Board,  led  the  dedicatory 
service,  and  Rev.  Joshua  Denovan,  who  had  secured 
much  of  the  money  required,  preached  the  sermon  of 
the  occasion.     Mr.  Roux  continued  as  principal  until 
the  fall  of  1887,  when  he  removed  to  Saxton  River, 
Vermont. 


206         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

(5)  Enlargement.       At  Mr.  Roux's  departure,  Rev. 
G.  N.  Masse,  who  was  pastor  of  the  church  at  Grande- 
Ligne,  was  appointed  Principal  of  the  Institute.     At 
the  age  of  twenty-five,  with  his  valiant  little  wife,  he 
took  hold  of  his  new  charge  and  the  Lord  was  with 
tthem.     On  January  3ist,   1890,  the  old  building  of 
1840  was  burned   to  the  ground,  but  the  generous 
friends  of  the  Mission  came  to  its  aid  and  a  large 
and  more  commodious  building  was  ready  the  next 
fall  and   112  pupils  were  received.     Under  the  new 
principal,  the  school  entered  a  hew  era,  more  pupils 
applied  than  could  be  admitted  and  a  greater  interest 
was  taken  in  the  cause  of  the  Baptists  of  Canada  and 
elsewhere.     In  1901-1902  the  building  was  again  en 
larged  to  double  its  capacity.    In  the  erection  of  this, 
the  Principal  had  the  supervision  and,  together  with 
his  brother,  Mr.  A.   E.   Masse,  rendered  invaluable 
assistance.     These   new   buildings   have   all   modern 
conveniences. 

(6)  Principalship  of  Rev.  G.  N.  Masse.   Although 
ably  assisted  by  his  brother,  Mr.  A.  E.  Masse,  B.A., 
the  health  of  the  Principal  began  to  fail.    A  residence 
was  built  for  him  in  1893  beside  the  Institute,  in  order 
that  with  his  family  he  might  have  a  few  quiet  hours. 
Meanwhile,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Masse,  who  had  had  the  over 
sight  of  the  music  department  since  1890,  assumed,  in 
addition,  the  duties  of  lady  principal.    The  work  con 
tinued  with  marked  success.    In  1903,  Principal  Masse 
was  honored  with  the  degree  of  LL.D.  from  McMaster 
University.     His  health  continued  to  fail  gradually,  and 
in  1905  he  was  compelled  to  resign.    On  the  honor  roll 
of  those  who  sustained  him  during  those  fruitful  years 
we  name,  besides  his  brother:  Dr.  Rainville,  J.  H. 


GRANDE-L1GNE  SCHOOL  (1911). 


THE  OLD  LOG  HOUSE  (1835). 


GRANDE-LIGNE  207 

Marceau,  Ernest  Norman,  Mrs.  Minor,  Misses  Piche, 
Carrie  Bullock,  Moseley,  Parmelia  Bullock,  and  others, 
besides  those  whose  names  will  appear  later. 

(7)  Principalship  of  Mr.  A.  E.  Masse.  Where 
two  men  had  stood,  one  man  was  left  to  fill  the  gap  ; 
but  that  man  was  brave  enough  to  remain  at  his  post. 
Mr.  A.  E.  Masse  consented  to  assume  the  position  of 
principal  after  his  brother's  departure.  Mrs.  Masse 
naturally  retained  her  position,  which  she  still  fills 
with  distinction,  exerting  an  influence  for  refinement 
and  high  spirituality.  On  the  teaching  staff  to-day 
are,  besides  the  principal,  Mr.  Ernest  Roy,  B.A.  (Mc- 
Master),  grandson  of  our  colporteur  named  below; 
Rev.  L.  A.  Therrien,  B.A.  (McMaster),  son  of  Dr. 
Therrien,  of  Montreal;  Mr.  Henri  Brouillet  (student 
of  McMaster)  ;  Mr.  Alcide  Brouillet,  B.A.  (L'Ora- 
toire,  Geneva)  ;  all  bearing  honored  names  and  worthy 
to  bear  them.  The  pastor  of  the  church  also  takes  up 
certain  classes.  The  lady  teachers  are:  Misses  E.  M. 
Spurr,  M.A.  (Acadia) ;  S.  A.  Hall,  A.  Therrien,  M.  F. 
DeSerres  and  K.  M.  Wortman. 

Contrast.  In  the  original  school  there  was  one 
teacher;  in  the  present  school  there  are  twelve  and 
often  more.  In  the  garret  of  the  old  log  house  Mme. 
Feller  had  two  little  rooms ;  the  premises  of  the  present 
Institute  are  made  up  of  three  stone  buildings,  five 
stories  high,  the  central  part  being  72  ft.  x  46  ft.,  the 
wings  each  113  ft.  x  42  ft.  The  first  schoolhouse  had 
a  floor  space  of  300  square  feet;  the  present,  one  of 
51,000  square  feet.  Mme.  Feller  started  with  a  few 
scores  of  friends  at  most;  Feller  Institute  has  the 
sympathies  and  prayers  of  a  hundred  thousand 
Christian  hearts.  The  old  log  house  is  still  standing  by 


208         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

the  side  of  the  present  school  building,  so  that  a  con 
trast  can  easily  be  made ;  and  he  must  be  blind  indeed 
who  does  not  see  the  hand  of  God  in  it  all. 

(8)  Incorporation.  In  1855,  the  Grande-Ligne 
Society  was  incorporated  as  the  Evangelical  Society  of 
La  Grande-Ligne,  and  in  1888  a  new  Act  of  Incorpora 
tion  was  procured  from  the  Quebec  Government,  which 
brought  the  Mission  definitely  under  Baptist  control. 
It  provides  that  no  director  can  be  elected  unless  he 
be  a  member,  in  good  standing,  of  a  Regular  Baptist 
Church. 

4.  OUTSTANDING  FIELDS. 

In  thinking  of  the  "  fields  "  occupied  at  present  by 
the  Grande-Ligne  Mission  workers,  we  must  remem 
ber  that  their  territory  is  practically  foreign  mission 
ground.  Hence  the  results  may  not  bulk  so  largely 
as  do  those  of  our  Conventions.  They  are  breaking 
ground  that  has  been  trodden  hard  by  the  foot  of 
Romanism.  It  is  easier,  indeed,  to  make  headway  in 
a  heathen  country  than  in  a  Roman  Catholic  country 
like  Quebec  or  South  America.  The  difficulty  of 
securing  suitable  workers  is  also  very  great.  Boycott 
is  'the  portion  of  most  of  those  who  leave  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  and  as  a  consequence  Grande-Ligne's 
converts  are  scattered  almost  as  rapidly  as  they  are 
made.  Yet  progress  is  being  made  even  in  the  confines 
of  Quebec.  Slowly  but  surely  ignorance  and  its  hand 
maid  superstition  are  being  dispelled.  Homes  and 
hearts  are  opening  to  the  truth,  and  the  expectation 
that  soon  we  shall  see  a  great  turning  from  Rome 
seems  to  be  well  warranted. 


GRANDE-LIGNE  209 

(1)  Grande-Ligne.       The  history  of  the  church  at 
Grande-Ligne  is  so  closely  interwoven  with  that  of 
the  school  that  only  a  short  notice  is  necessary.    It  was 
organized,  as  we  have  seen,  by  Mr.  Roussy  in  1838. 
He  continued  pastor,  except  for  a  short  interval  during 
which  M.  Normandeau  had  shepherded  the  flock,  until 
his  death,  in  1868.     His  successors  have  been  Rev. 
A.  L.  Therrien,  Rev.  G.  N.  Masse,  and  Rev.  M.  B. 
Parent.     During  Mr.  Therrien's  pastorate  the  beauti 
ful  Roussy  Memorial  Church  was  erected.    A  parson 
age  has  since  been  built. 

(2)  Saint  Pie.       The  work  at  St.  Pie  is  typical  in 
so  many  respects  of  the  Grande-Ligne  Mission  fields 
that  a  more  extended  sketch  is  given  to  it  than  to  the 
others. 

Beginning.  In  the  year  1841,  a  young  man  from 
St.  Pie,  45  miles  north-east  of  Grande-Ligne,  returned 
from  Massachusetts,  where  he  had  been  converted. 
He  began  religious  work  among  his  relatives  and  met 
with  mingled  opposition  and  success.  A  family  in  the 
neighborhood  had  possessed  a  Bible  for  a  number  of 
years  and  were  open  to  receive  light.  Others  became 
interested.  Having  heard  of  the  "  Swiss  "  that  were 
preaching  a  new  religion  near  St.  John's,  these  people 
of  St.  Pie  commissioned  one  of  their  number  to  make 
inquiries.  He  found,  to  his  delight,  that  the  preachers 
of  the  new  religion  had  the  same  Bible  as  himself  and 
believed  the  same  things.  Mr.  Roussy  was  invited  to 
visit  them,  and  his  preaching  was  the  occasion  of  a 
remarkable  awakening. 

Opposition.  In  no  other  place,  however,  was  op 
position  so  bitter.  The  windows  of  the  house  where 
the  meetings  were  held  were  broken,  the  missionaries 
14 


210         THE   BAPTISTS    OF    CANADA 

were  stoned,  the  house  of  a  convert  was  burnt,  and 
a  charivari  was  kept  up  around  the  houses  of  the 
converts  for  fourteen  consecutive  nights.  English 
Protestants  of  Abbots  ford  took  the  matter  up  and 
thirty  rioters  were  arrested  and  might  have  been  sent 
to  penitentiary,  but  the  injured  ones  interceded  for 
them.  The  effect  was  salutary.  The  work  progressed 
more  and  more.  A  commodious  house  was  built  three 
miles  from  the  village.  Here  they  were  not  molested. 
This  house  served  for  a  girls'  school,  a  parsonage  and 
a  chapel.  The  church  had  60  members.  In  this  early 
work,  Messrs.  Roussy,  Normandeau  and  others 
preached.  Mile.  J.  Perusset  was  the  first  lady  worker 
on  that  field.  Dr.  Cote  was  the  first  settled  pastor. 
In  his  hands  the  work  greatly  prospered. 

Theodore  Lafleur's  Pastorate.  In  1850,  Theodore 
Lafleur  returned  from  Geneva  and  was  ordained  pas 
tor  at  St.  Pie.  He  was  assisted  by  M.  Tetrault,  a  con 
verted  priest,  later  by  Mme.  Lafleur,  a  lady  of  high 
mental  and  moral  character.  Mile.  Joute  also  faith 
fully  labored  as  superintendent  of  the  school  and  con 
tinued  working  without  remuneration  in  the  different 
institutions  connected  with  the  Missions  until  her 
death. 

Later  History.  In  1854,  the  Mission  building  was 
burnt  down  and  the  school  moved  to  Longueuil.  The 
work  at  St.  Pie  went  on,  however,  a  new  chapel  being 
built  in  a  small  village.  The  Church  numbered  at 
times  as  many  as  180  members,  but  emigration  made 
great  inroads  into  the  congregation,  and  at  certain 
periods  there  were  but  half  a  dozen  families  left. 
Among  those  who  labored  as  pastors  were  Messrs. 
J.  N,  Williams,  Ly.  Normandeau,  A,  L,.  Therrien, 


GRANDE-LIGNE  211 

M.  O.  Therrien,  T.  Brouillet,  A.  J.  Lebeau,  N.  Gre- 
goire,  L.  A.  .Therrien,  Moise  Robert.  At  present  the 
congregation  is  made  up  of  about  100  persons,  count 
ing  children;  a  neat,  new  building  has  replaced  the 
old  one,  and  everything  promises  an  era  of  prosperity 
under  the  pastorate  of  the  faithful,  gentle,  refined 
Louis  Roussy  Dutaud. 

(3)  Stc.  Marie  (Marieville).  The    colporteurs, 
whose  names  will  'be  given  later,  from  the  early  dawn 
of  the  Mission,  went  about  the  country  from  house 
to  house.     In  Ste.  Marie,  twelve  miles  from  St.  John's, 
they  found  a  few  families  that  were  accessible  to  the 
truth.     In  1848  Dr.  Cote  succeeded  in  securing  a  house 
at  Fort  George,  a  hamlet  four  miles  from  the  main 
village.     He  met   with  considerable  success  but  was 
called  away,  and  Mr.  Roussy  came  to  occupy  this  im 
portant  field.     In  1852  a  fine  brick  church  was  erected 
in  the  village  of  Ste.  Marie.     It  was  the  first  French 
Protestant    Baptist    church    edifice    proper,     built    in 
Canada. 

After  Mr.  Roussy  was  recalled  to  Grand-Ligne,  Mr. 
N.  Duval  took  charge  of  the  church,  'but  to  Rev. 
Toussaint  Riendeau  belongs  the  honor  of  holding  up 
the  flag  of  truth  there  for  22  years.  M.  B.  Parent, 
T.  Brouillet,  J.  C.  Bracq,  A.  E.  Masse,  A.  C.  Brouillet 
and  others  occupied  the  pulpit  at  different  times.  Mr. 
A.  J.  Lebeau's  pastorate  extended  over  twelve  years. 
Dr.  G.  N.  Masse  is  now  the  beloved  pastor  and  it  is 
one  of  the  most  promising  flocks  in  the  whole  province. 

(4)  Montreal  L'Oratoire.     In  1845  Messrs.  Tanner 
and  Wolff,  missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
were  preaching  alternately  to  small  audiences  of  a  few 
English   people    who    understood    French    and    four 


212         THE   BAPTISTS   OF  CANADA 

French-Canadians.  In  1857  Mr.  Cyr,  a  Grand-Ligne 
missionary,  published  Le  Semeur  and  held  religious 
services  in  the  city.  Later,  during  Mr.  Lafleur's 
charge  of  the  school  at  Longueuil,  he  occasionally 
preached  there.  He  finally  settled  in  Montreal,  con 
tinuing  to  hold  services  in  Longueuil,  but  the  lack  of 
a  settled  place  for  worship  proved  a  great  drawback. 
In  1881  a  lot  was  purchased  and  a  substantial  church 
edifice  was  built.  Emigration  took  away  some  of  the 
best  families.  Mr.  Lafleur  resigned  in  1886  and  Rev. 
A.  L.  Therrien  became  their  minister.  He  is  an  ideal 
pastor  and  a  strong  preacher. 

(5)  Montreal — St.  Paul's  Church.     The   Grande- 
Ligne  Mission  Board  has  long  seen  the  necessity  of 
extending     the     work     in     the     city     of     Montreal. 
Hall     work     has     been     tried     with     good     results, 
but    the    lack    of    men    and    of    means    has    com 
pelled  the  Board  and  Pastor  Therrien,  who  had  the 
supervision  of  it,  to  discontinue.     It  was  resumed  in 
1908,  when  a  hall  was  opened  in  the  east  end  of  the 
city.     The  field  was  promising,  and  the  Board  decided 
to  engage  a  new  laborer.     Rev.  A.  St.  James,  a  former 
student  of  Grande-Ligne,  returned  from  the  United 
States  and  was  settled  there.     He  organized  a  bi-lin- 
gual  church  with  a  membership  of  about  thirty,  which 
has  increased  to  more  than  sixty.     A  lot  has  been 
secured  and  a  new  church  building  is  now  urgently 
demanded. 

(6)  Roxton  Pond    was  begun  by  the  labors  of  Mr. 
Roussy  and  Dr.  Cote.    A  neat  stone  chapel  was  built 
in  1862.    The  church  has  been  depleted  by  emigration. 
One  large  section  went  to  Big  Bend  on  Lake  Huron, 
where  they   have   maintained   their   French   services 


GRANDE-LIGNE  213 

without  a  pastor  for  forty  years.  The  pastoral  charge 
of  this  church,  which  has  its  centre  in  the  prosperous 
village  of  Roxton  Pond,  after  the  missionaries  named 
before,  has  been  held  by  Theodore  Lafleur,  Dr.  Cote, 
Jr.,  M.  Roudiez,  A.  L.  Therrien,  Trefle  Brouillet  (for 
22  years),  W.  S.  Bullock  (for  12  years),  and  others, 
and  is  now  held  by  Rev.  O.  D.  Fournier,  a  former 
pupil  of  Grande-Ligne  school,  who  has  a  flock  of 
some  fifty  families. 

(7)  South   Ely.        In  1860,  South  Ely  was  a  vast 
forest.     There  Francois  Xavier  Smith,  a  former  stu 
dent  of  Grande-Ligne,  labored  among  the  early  set 
tlers.     A  church  was  organized  in  1872  and  a  chapel 
built.     After  several  years  of  struggle  with  opposing 
influences,  and  a  salary  inadequate  to  the  needs  of  his 
large  family,  he  left  to  take  up  work  in  the  United 
states.     The  field  was  supplied  by  students  until  the 
services  of  Rev.  F.  Jousse,  from  France,  were  secured. 
He  remained  from  1875  until  1882.     A  parsonage  was 
erected  in   1881.     M.  O.  Therrien  labored  there  for 
some  years,  then  Rev.  N.  Gregoire,  a  man  of  remark 
able  ability.     Now  it  is  under  the  care  of  the  Senior 
Grande-Ligne    Missionary,   the   earnest   and    faithful 
Rev.  T.  Brouillet. 

(8)  Maskinonge.         The    story    of    this    field,    if 
written  at  some  length,  would  read  like  a  romance. 
Here  are  the  bare  facts.     In  1891  a  Roman  Catholic 
church  was  to  be  built  in  the  village  of  Maskinonge, 
seventy  miles  east  of  Montreal.     The  spot  was  chosen 
and  consecrated,  but  the  Bishop  was  induced,  by  a 
liberal  offer,  to  build  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
A  large  section  of  the  people  insisted  that  the  first 
choice  be  retained.     Their  request  being  refused,  they 


214         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

built  themselves  a  chapel  and  worshipped  there  with 
out  any  priest,  until  a  Belgian  monk,  preaching  a 
retreat,  went  in  and  cursed  the  chapel  and  the  people. 
A  great  commotion  followed.  The  Mission  sent  Rev. 
A.  Burwash  to  visit  the  people,  who  at  first  had  no 
desire  to  turn,  but  were  willing  to  hear  words  of  sym 
pathy  and  love.  He  and  other  missionaries  of  Grande- 
Ligne  preached  in  the  chapel  to  large  congregations 
hungering  for  the  truth.  Having  tasted  of  the  Gospel, 
some  of  them  were  willing  to  follow  it.  Thirteen  per 
sons  were  baptized  and  organized  into  a  church;  a 
chapel  and  a  parsonage  were  erected  (the  old  chapel 
being  a  temporary  structure)  and  Rev.  W.  S.  Bullock 
became  pastor.  The  membership  ran  up  to  twenty- 
one.  In  1897  Mr.  Leonard  A.  Therrien  was  ordained 
there,  Mr.  Bullock  having  been  called  to  Roxton. 
Many  of  those  who  at  the  outset  listened  to  the  truth 
had  not  the  courage  to  withstand  the  opposition  and 
withdrew.  But  the  little  flock  remained  faithful,  and 
some  of  them  evinced  a  Christian  character  scarcely 
surpassed  in  the  annals  of  the  Christian  Church. 
.Their  number  has  been  considerably  reduced  by  emi 
gration  and  death.  JVI.  Sem  Casgrain,  a  Grande-Ligne 
boy,  a  student  of  McMaster  University,  now  holds  the 
fort. 

(9)  St.  Constant  and  Vicinity.  This  field  was 
opened  through  a  Bible  being  given  by  a  good  Amer 
ican  lady  to  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  that  parish. 
He  was  visited  by  Colporteur  Roy,  who  also  found 
an  opening  in  two  other  families,  the  heads  of  which 
were  brothers  and  men  of  strong  character.  The  work 
spread  into  St.  Michel,  St.  Philippe,  St.  Remi,  St. 
Isidore  and  even  farther  west.  Mr.  Roussy  entered 


GRANDE-LIGNE  215 

into  all  these  openings  and  in  the  true  evangelical 
sense  confirmed  these  people  in  the  truth.  Afterwards 
a  missionary  from  France,  M.  Letourneau,  was  placed 
on  that  field,  then  Mr.  Louis  Pasche,  then  Mr.  A.  L. 
Therrien,  at  that  time  a  young  man  of  18,  settled  there. 
When  he  removed  to  St.  Pie,  the  field  was  visited  by 
Mr.  Lafleur,  from  Montreal,  Mr.  Roussy  from  Grande- 
Ligne  and  others.  It  became  the  place  where  the 

future  preachers  of  the  Mission  made  their  debuts 

J.  C.  Bracq,  M.  B.  Parent,  G.  N.  Masse,  W.  S.  Bullock 
and  others.  A  young  Waldensian  from  Piedmont,  Mr. 
Jacques  Cesan,  was  sent  there,  and  remained  several 
years.  In  1899  Mr.  Moise  Robert  settled  there  and 
with  the  help  of  the  Board,  the  people  built  a  neat, 
commodious  chapel.  Several  English-speaking  families 
of  the  neighborhood  gave  assistance.  It  gave  the  scat 
tered  congregation  an  "  esprit  dc  corps;"  it  also 
opened  their  hearts  and  their  purses.  Rev.  A.  J. 
Lebeau  succeeded  Mr.  Robert  and  a  comfortable  par 
sonage  was  erected.  He  left  after  a  short  but  useful 
ministry.  His  work  was  taken  up  by  Rev.  A.  J. 
Tremblay,  a  former  student  of  Grande-LJgne  and  a 
graduate  of  McGill  University. 

(10)  Ottawa.  In  1890  Mr.  G.  R.  McFaul  labored 
as  student  missionary  in  the  cities  of  Ottawa  and  Hull. 
W.  S.  Bullock  spent  the  summers  of  1891  and  1892. 
The  work  was  encouraging,  but  his  services  were 
needed  elsewhere.  The  following  year  Miss  Sara 
Piche  spent  some  time  there,  and  with  success,  but 
the  work  was  dropped  for  lack  of  a  suitable  laborer. 
In  1897  Rev.  G.  R.  McFaul,  B.A.,  a  former  student 
of  Grande-Ligne,  entered  French  work.  He  took  up 
his  residence  in  Ottawa  in  1901.  At  first  a  hall  was 


216         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

rented,  but  in  1904  a  chapel  was  erected.  He  has 
organized  a  bi-lingual  Church,  and  has  baptized  not 
less  than  70  persons.  With  the  help  of  Mr.  J.  G. 
Poitras  he  extends  his  work  along  the  Ottawa  Valley 
to  about  twenty  different  places. 

(11)  Quebec  City.      In  1857  M.  Normandeau  was 
called   upon   to   undertake   the   work   in  the   city   of 
Quebec.    The  English  Baptist  Church  was  opened  for 
the  services.     At  first  large  audiences  were  gathered. 
Doctors,  lawyers,  judges  and  others,  who  had  known 
him  formerly,  listened  to  him  with  pleasure.     But  a 
thunderbolt  from  the  clerical  sky  scattered  them.    The 
people  of  humble  rank  continued  to  come  and  at  the 
end  of  ten  years  he  had  a  Church  of  twenty  members. 
.This  number  having  been  diminished  by  death  and 
emigration  and  the  need  of  a  laborer  at  St.  Pie  being 
very  pressing,  he  was  called  to  take  charge  at  that 
point.     The  remnant  of  his  congregation  passed  over 
to  another  denomination.     Later  on,  the  Mission  sent 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grenier  to  labor  in  Quebec.     This  field 
again   came   into   prominence   when   the   Rev.   Adam 
Burwash,  who  was  holding  a  quiet  meeting  there,  was 
mobbed.    Mr.  Burwash  was  not  hurt,  but  the  building 
was  damaged.     Several  missionaries  labored  there  for 
a  short  time.     Rev.  L.  R.  Dutaud  occupied  the  post 
for  eleven  years  and  did  excellent  work,  winning  the 
respect  of  both  the  French  and  English  population. 
Rev.  A.  J.  Lebeau  took  his  place  and  is  pushing  the 
work  forward  wifh  energy.    A  chapel  has  been  built,  a 
parsonage   purchased  and   a   French   Baptist  church 
organized. 

(12)  Roussillon.          Six   miles   north   of   Lachute, 
Que.,  near  large  quarries,  is  Roussillon.     There,   a 


GRANDE-LIGNE  2I; 

blacksmith,  whom  none  of  the  missionaries  knew  with 

no  other   tool   than   a   Catholic  version  of  the' New 

lestament,  succeeded  in  welding  a  few  individuals  to 

the  truths  of  the  Gospel.     Having  communicated  with 

••"""'  "f  '""   ""    :"";<'"'  •  .'i  king   for  help,  several  of 

the  laborers,  including  Superintendent  Therrien  visited 

the  field  in  1909,  and  now  (1911)  twenty-three  persons 

have  been  baptized  and  a  house  built,  which  will  serve 

as  a  school  and  chapel. 

(13)  Lac  Long.  From  Temiscouata  County  there 
came  about  the  same  time  as  the  above  the  Macedonian 
cry.  Rev.  N.  N.  Aubin,  a  former  student  of  Grande- 
Ligne  opened  a  work  there  in  a  settlement  near  the 
line  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Pacific  railway.  A  combined 
school-house,  parsonage  and  chapel  has  been  erected. 
Five  Roman  Catholic  families  (30  persons)  have  left 
their  Church  and  some  have  applied  for  baptism. 

5.  TRANSFERRED  LIGHTS. 

It  would  give  the  readers  a  very  inadequate  idea  of 
the  work  done  by  the  Grande-Ligne  Mission,  if  only 
the  fields  now  occupied  were  mentioned. 

(1)  United  States.  From  the  first  we  see  Mr. 
Roussy  visiting  and  preaching  at  Chazy  and  Corbeau, 
N.Y.  There  Dr.  Cote  led  30  persons  to  Christ.  At 
Montgomery  and  Enosburg,  Vt.,  a  gracious  movement 
led  by  an  illiterate  man,  named  Morin,  developed. 
Mr.  Letourneau,  having  settled  at  Richford,  under 
the  Grande-Ligne  Mission,  labored  for  many  years 
on  that  field,  preaching  also  at  Swanton,  Highgate  and 
St.  Albans,  Vt.  In  1863  he  reported  that  18  new 
families  on  this  extensive  field  had  received  the  Gospel 


218         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

through  his  efforts.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  D. 
Rossier,  who  for  several  years  did  excellent  work. 
Most  of  the  converts  have  either  emigrated  or  been 
assimilated  by  other  churches. 

(2)  Canada.  On  the  Canadian  side,  Hemming- 
ford,  Sherrington,  Lacolle,  Pike  River,  Henryville 
and  St.  Sebastien  were  scenes  of  earnest  labor  and 
success.  In  St.  Johns,  Rev.  T.  Riendeau  spent  several 
years  and  was  followed  by  Pastor  N.  Gregoire.  A 
few  Protestants  remained  there,  but  no  regular  mis 
sionary. 

Leslie  Township.  In  1871,  a  man  named  Pelletier, 
in  the  township  of  Leslie  (60  miles  north  of  Ottawa), 
received  a  New  Testament  which  led  to  his  conversion. 
Mr.  Louis  Pasche,  a  teacher  at  Grande-Ligne,  visited 
him  during  his  vacation.  In  1872  Mr.  Riendeau  spent 
some  time  there  and  found  several  converts  and  organ 
ized  a  church.  Mr.  Pelletier,  though  35  years  of  age, 
came  to  Grande-Ligne  to  fit  himself  a  little  better  for 
work  among  his  neighbors.  Several  years  later,  Mr. 
Pasche  settled  in  that  neighborhood,  accepted  views 
of  the  Brethren  and  carried  most  of  the  flock  with 
him.  Through  this  movement  two  hundred  persons 
received  the  Gospel. 

Sorel.  In  1892  an  opening  was  made  at  Sorel.  Rev. 
A.  Burwash  visited  the  city.  The  meetings  were  so 
noisy  that  police  protection  was  necessary,  but  the 
work  went  on.  Several  of  the  missionaries  assisted. 
Colporteur  Gendreau,  and  students  Genest  and  Thibo- 
deau,  labored  in  Sorel  and  vicinity  for  a  considerable 
period.  A  number  of  people  professed  conversion. 
In  1893  RCV-  L.  O.  F.  Cote  was  called  from  the 
United  States  to  take  charge.  In  the  course  of  the 


GRANDE-LIGNE  219 

seven  years  following,  over  40  persons  were  baptized. 
Romish  fanaticism  continued  very  strong,  extending  to 
the  Mayor  and  Magistrates.  The  Mission-house  was 
stoned  and  other  deeds  of  violence  took  place.  The 
boycott  drove  the  converts  away.  In  one  year  30  of 
them  were  compelled  to  go  elsewhere  for  employment. 
In  1900  Mr.  Cote  returned  to  the  United  States. 
Mr.  Henri  Sene  was  placed  on  the  field  to  work  as 
Colporteur  and  Evangelist,  but  the  cause  was  so  much 
weakened  that  the  Church  edifice  erected  in  1896 
was  sold  and  the  field  closed,  the  missionaries  having 
vacated  the  field. 

Shawinigan  Falls.  Shawinigan  Falls,  north  of  Three 
Rivers,  was  also  a  centre  of  interest.  Mr.  Henri 
Brouillet  taught  there.  His  place  was  taken  by  Miss 
Sara  Piche,  who  won  the  respect  and  affection  of  the 
whole  town.  Mr.  Argaud  from  France  occupied  the 
field  for  some  months,  leaving  later  for  Ottawa. 

Shcrbrooke.  Sherbrooke  was  occupied  by  Mr.  M.  O. 
Therrien  for  a  number  of  years.  M.  Moise  Robert 
succeeded  him.  Much  seed  has  been  sown,  and  fruit 
will  come  in  due  season. 

Besides  these  fields,  work  has  been  done  by  the 
Grande-Ligne  Mission  in  New  Brunswick  and  Mani 
toba,  and  the  Board  is  looking  forward  to  the  time 
when  they  will  have  men  and  dollars  to  resume  it. 
Mr.  G.  Peters  is  at  present  engaged  in  Digby  and 
Yarmouth  Counties,  N.S.,  among  the  French  fishermen 
on  the  Atlantic  Coast,  with  encouraging  results. 

6.  SUPPORT. 

Answered  Prayer.  Little  has  been  said  concerning 
the  way  funds  have  been  provided  for  this  Mission, 


220         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

yet  the  history  of  this  department  is  a  record  of  God's 
faithfulness  and  of  the  sacrifice  of  His  servants. 
Most  remarkable  answers  to  prayer  have  been  experi 
enced  :  empty  treasury,  missionaries  unpaid,  provisions 
gone,  school  closed,  darkness,  discouragement  and  even 
doubt — the  workers  called  together  for  prayer,  the 
listening  ear  bowed,  the  bounteous  hand  opened,  needs 
met,  joyful  hearts,  thankful  spirits,  courage  strength 
ened  and  a  fresh  hold  taken,  both  of  the  work  and  of 
God,  have  been  the  repeated  experience  of  the  workers 
of  this  Mission. 

Agents.  When  the  remittances  from  Switzerland 
were  insufficient  and  finally  ceased,  Mme.  Feller, 
accompanied  by  Dr.  Kirk  (to  whom  reference  has 
been  made),  and  later  by  Dr.  R.  A.  Fyfe,  whose 
memory  is  so  fragrant  to  the  older  Baptists  of  Ontario 
and  Quebec,  and  still  later  by  Dr.  Cote  or  Dr. 
Lafleur,  visited  the  United  States,  enkindling  deep 
interest  in  the  Mission  and  securing  large  amounts  of 
money  for  the  prosecution  of  its  work.  Dr.  Lafleur 
continued  to  represent  the  Mission  with  great  success 
in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  until  he  was 
nearly  eighty  years  of  age.  Rev.  Toussaint  Riendeau 
made  tours  of  the  Canadian  towns  and  cities  on  its 
behalf  at  great  sacrifice,  both  to  himself  and  his  family. 
He  also  visited  Britain  on  collecting  tours  on  several 
occasions  and  was  successful  in  securing  sympathy 
and  help.  All  the  missionaries  speaking  the  English 
language  were  more  or  less  engaged  in  this  work, 
sometimes  being  compelled  to  leave  their  fields  for 
months  at  a  time  to  obtain  "the  sinews  of  war,"  to 
the  great  detriment  of  the  spiritual  work  to  which 
they  were  called. 


GRANDE-LIGNE  221 

Special  Special  needs  have  brought  special  helpers 
to  our  assistance  and  thus  has  God  displayed  His 
hand  in  our  work.  In  1880,  when  the  east  wing  was 
added  to  the  building,  the  Rev.  Joshua  Denovan 
made  a  successful  canvass  in  Britain  in  its  behalf. 
Others,  among  whom  were  Revs.  John  Alexander, 
J.  Henderson,  Hoyes  Lloyd  and  Robert  Cameron  gave 
themselves  ungrudgingly  to  the  procuring  of  funds 
in  times  of  special  stress.  Later  Revs.  P.  A.  McEwen, 
H.  F.  Griffin,  E.  Botterill,  and  E.  A.  de  St.  Dalmas 
rendered  excellent  service  to  the  Mission  in  this  depart 
ment  of  its  work. 

Rev.  E.  Bosivorth.  Since  1892  our  present  Secretary, 
Rev.  E.  Bosworth,  has  had  charge  of  this  department. 
His  experience  in  business  has  proved  a  valuable 
help  in  systematizing  the  methods  by  which  our  funds 
are  raised,  and  his  presentation  of  our  work  to  the 
churches  has  created  deeper  interest,  so  that  instead 
of  appealing  to  individuals  by  personal  canvass,  as 
in  the  past,  at  least  85  per  cent,  of  the  churches  in 
Ontario  and  Quebec  now  have  the  Mission  upon  the 
regular  schedule  of  their  benevolences  and  an  equally 
large  percentage  of  the  Sunday  schools  make  regular 
contributions  to  our  treasury.  It  is  now  only  upon 
some  special  occasion  that  it  becomes  necessary  to  ask 
the  missionaries  to  leave  their  fields  to  canvass. 

Rev.  A.  G.  Upham,  D.D.  Among  those  who  have 
rendered  valuable  assistance  by  pen  and  speech  is 
Rev.  A.  G.  Upham,  who,  while  pastor  of  the  Olivet 
Baptist  Church,  employed  much  time  and  skill  in  the 
furtherance  of  the  Mission's  interest  and  in  the  en 
deavour  to  secure  an  endowment  for  Feller  Institute. 


222         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Honored  Names.  This  section  would  be  incomplete 
were  mention  not  made  of  Mr.  T.  M.  Thomson,  who, 
in  the  early  days  was  the  Secretary,  .devoting  both 
strength  and  means  to  this  work.  Another  name  is 
that  of  Joseph  Richards,  who,  for  31  years,  gave  to 
the  Mission  valuable  service  as  Treasurer  of  its  funds. 
He  was  the  friend  of  every  missionary,  a  valued 
advisor  in  perplexity  and  a  prayerful,  devoted,  far- 
seeing  friend  of  French  evangelization  in  Quebec. 

Grateful  Acknowledgments.  Particular  and  thank 
ful  recognition  is  here  given  to  the  valuable  assistance 
rendered  in  the  past  by  the  Ladies'  Grande-Ligne 
Associations  of  the  United  States.  In  Buffalo, 
Rochester,  Brooklyn,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  Providence, 
and  other  cities,  Associations  were  formed  by  Mme. 
Feller.  The  pressure  of  other  work  nearer  home,  and 
the  increased  support  coming  from  the  Canadian 
churcrfes  have  caused  most  of  these  societies  to  direct 
their  benevolence  into  other  equally  needy  channels. 
The  Baptist  Women's  Missionary  Societies  of  Canada, 
and  the  Montreal  Ladies'  Grande-Ligne  Associations, 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  continue,  however, 
to  greatly  cheer  the  hearts  of  the  missionaries  engaged 
in  this  work  by  their  sympathetic  words,  generous 
gifts  and  increasing  interest  in  the  efforts  being  made 
to  give  the  Gospel  to  French  Canada. 

7.  LEADERS. 

It  is  impossible  in  this  brief  sketch  to  do  honor 
to  all  to  whom  honor  is  due,  but  our  witness  to  the 
following  will  indicate  our  deep  thankfulness  to  God 
for  the  many  whose  names  are  not  mentioned, 


LEADERS   IN    THE   GRANDE-LIGNE  MISSION 

RKV.  Louis  ROVSSY.  R«v.  A.  L.  TIIERRIKN.  D.D. 

MADAMK  HKNKIKTTA  ODIN  FKLLKK. 


i.  A.  E.  MASSE.  U.A. 


I.ADV  I'liiNcii-Ai,  MRS.  A.  E.  MASSK. 


GRANDE-LIGNE  223 

(l)  The  Pioneers.  Two  names  stand  together  as 
the  pioneers  of  the  Grande-Ligne  Mission,  viz. :  Mme. 
Feller  and  Louis  Roussy. 

Mme.  Feller.  Her  name  was  so  interwoven  with  the 
early   history  of   the   Mission  that   we   refrain   from 
more  than  simply  telling  the  story  of  her  last  years. 
Upon  her  fell  the  care  of  all  the  students,  the  care 
of  the  whole  school,  and  the  care  of  all  the  Mission 
Fields    (which    she    visited),    not   excepting   Roxton 
with  its  corduroy  road.    This  was  too  much  for  Mme. 
Feller's   delicate    frame.     In    1858  she   was   sent  to 
Florida  by  her  physician,  from  which  place  she  re 
turned  little  benefited.     Later  she  left  Grande-Ligne, 
in  company  with  M.  and  Mme.  Lafleur,  for  a  visit 
to   Europe.     She   was   permitted   once   again   to   see 
her  native  city,  her  beloved  mountains  and  her  friends 
the  Oliviers  and  others.     She  returned  in  December, 
1861,  and  threw  herself  into  the  work  of  the  Mission 
with  all  her  old-time  devotedness.     The  early  sixties 
was  a  period  of  great  difficulty  and  discouragement. 
The  question  of  restricted  communion  was  agitated  in 
the  Mission  and  outside,  and  the  depression  of  busi 
ness  brought  on  by  the  American  Civil  War  caused 
financial  difficulties.    All  these  told  heavily  upon  Mme. 
Feller.     In  1865  she  was  seized  with  paralysis  from 
which  she  never  rallied  completely.    On  March  29th, 
1868,  she  passed  to  her  reward.     From  all  accessible 
fields  representatives  came,  and  Messrs.  Normandeau 
Roussy,  Lafleur  and  Alexander  took  part  in  the  funeral 
services.     The  blow  was  felt,  not  only  in  the  school, 
but  among  the  converts  at  large.     Five  months  later 
a  monument  was  erected  on  her  grave,  bearing  the 
inscription,  "  A  tribute  of  gratitude  and  love,  presented 
by  the  French-Canadians  to  the  memory  of  their 


224         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

dear  benefactress,  whose  Christian  devotedness  pro 
cured  to  them  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ." 

Louis  Roussy.  The  world  has  seldom,  if  ever,  seen  a 
nobler  gentleman  than  Louis  Roussy.  The  record  of 
his  life  is  interwoven  with  that  of  the  Grande-Ligne 
Mission.  He  served  in  many  places  humbly  and  faith 
fully,  but  his  labors  were  of  necessity  confined  largely 
to  Grande-Ligne,  in  the  school  and  church,  but  during 
the  latter  part  of  his  life  almost  exclusively  to  the 
church.  As  the  dark  cold  days  of  Autumn,  1880, 
crept  in,  he  was  called  to  the  land  of  eternal  sunshine, 
and  a  prince  had  fallen  in  Israel.  A  large  granite 
shaft  marks  his  grave,  but  the  converts,  with  the 
help  of  friends  of  the  Mission,  erected  the  handsome 
Louis  Roussy  Memorial  Church  at  Grande-Ligne,  to 
perpetuate  the  memory  of  this  noble,  self-sacrificing 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 

It  would  be  an  injustice  if  we  did  not  mention,  even 
in  such  a  brief  sketch  as  this,  at  least  the  names  of 
those  who  helped  Mme.  Feller  to  bear  her  heavy 
burden,  in  the  intellectual  and  material  departments 
of  Feller  Institute.  Among  her  own  spiritual  children 
are  T.  Riendeau,  Jacob  Dalpe,  Trefle  Brouillet,  J.  X. 
Smith,  Calixte  Commette,  Brigitte  Auger,  and  no 
doubt  others  whose  names  have  slipped  from  the 
records.  Among  those  who  came  from  the  outside 
were  Mr.  John  McClure,  A.  Bost,  Louis  Pollens,  who 
became  a  professor  in  Dartmouth  University,  M. 
Roudiez,  Mile.  Cuendet  and  Louis  Pasche. 

(2)  Principals.  The  Grande-Ligne  Mission  has 
been  richly  favored  in  the  character  and  person  of 
those  who  have  been  called  to  act  as  principals  of  the 


GRANDE-LIGNE  225 

school.  _  So  much  has  been  said  of  them,  however,  in 
connection  with  the  history  of  the  school  that  a  brief 
reference  will  suffice  here.  Mme.  Feller  for  thirty- 
two  years,  1836-1868,  carried  the  heavy  burden,  but 
her  faith  never  failed  and  her  zeal  never  flagged. 
As  her  successors,  have  been  Rev.  Leon  Normandeau^ 
an  ex-priest  and  faithful  servant  of  Christ,  1868- 
1870;  Rev.  T.  Brouillet,  who  left  a  lucrative  position 
to  give  himself  to  the  cause  he  loved,  1870-1874;  Rev. 
J.  D.  Rossier,  the  gifted  saint,  the  impulse  of  whose 
spirituality  endures  even  to  this  day,  1874-1876;  Rev. 
L.  Chas.  Roux,  the  man  of  tender  heart  and  faithful 
affections,  1876-1887;  Rev.  G.  N.  Masse,  of  feeble 
frame,  but  of  rich  spiritual  and  mental  endowments, 
1887-1905;  and  Rev.  A.  E.  Masse,  his  brother,  who 
has  since  rendered  faithful  and  efficient  service  and 
under  whose  saintly  leadership  revivals  continue  to 
mark  the  passing  years. 

(3)  Pastors  and  Missionaries.  Rev.  T.  Brouillet, 
Waterloo,  P.Q. ;  Rev.  E.  Bosworth,  22  St.  John  St., 
Montreal ;  Rev.  G.  N.  Masse,  B.A.,  LL.D.,  Marieville, 
P.Q. ;  Rev.  A.  J.  Lebeau,  45  D'Youville  St.,  Quebec, 
P.Q.;  Rev.  A.  L.  Therrien,  D.D.,  1500  Hutcheson  St., 
Montreal;  Rev.  M.  B.  Parent,  M.A.,  Principal  A.  E. 
Masse,  B.A.,  Prof.  E.  Roy,  B.A.,  Rev.  Leo  A.  Therrien, 
B.A.,  Mr.  Alcide  Brouillet,  B.A.,  Mr.  Henri  Brouillet, 
Grande-Ligne,  P.Q. ;  Rev.  R.  L.  Dutaud,  Emilieville, 
P.Q. ;  Rev.  Geo.  McFaul,  M.A.,  28  Sweetland  Avenue, 
Ottawa,  Ont. ;  Rev.  A.  St.  James,  463  Orleans  Avenue, 
Maisonneuve;  Rev.  N.  N.  Aubin,  Notre  Dame  du 
Lac,  P.Q. ;  Rev.  O.  D.  Fournier,  Roxton  Pond,  P.Q. ; 
Rev.  J.  A.  Tremblay,  B.A.,  Grande-Ligne,  P.Q.;  Mr. 
Sem.  Casgrain,  Maskinonge,  P.Q. ;  Mr.  J.  G.  Poitras, 
15 


226         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Hull,  P.Q.;  Miss  Choate,  Montreal,  P.Q.;  Mrs.  E. 
Scott,  258  St.  Charles  Borromme  St.,  Montreal;  Mr. 
A.  E.  White,  Dalesville,  P.Q. ;  Miss  Gladys  Clarke, 
Ottawa;  Mr.  A.  Boquet,  Montreal. 

Officers.  Rev,  G.  O.  Gates,  Westmount,  President ; 
Mr.  A.  A.  Ayer,  Montreal,  Vice-President ;  Rev.  E. 
Bosworth,  Montreal,  General  Secretary;  Mr.  David 
Bentley,  Montreal,  Treasurer. 

(4)  Colporteurs  and  Bible  Women.  Grande- 
Ligne  has  had  a  noble  army  of  men  and  women,  who 
have  been  willing  to  even  lay  down  their  lives   for 
Christ  and  who  at  all  times  have  suffered  great  hard 
ship  as  they  have  carried  the  Gospel  message  from 
home  to  home  and  hamlet  to  hamlet.     Among  these 
are  Hloi  Roi,  whose  singing  opened  homes  and  hearts 
wherever  he  went ;  Zephrim  Patenaude,  the  skilful  rea- 
soner ;  Joseph  Gendreau,  the  gentle,  who  though  inno 
cent  was  cast  into  the  Sorel  gaol,  where  he  contracted 
a  disease  that  ended  in  his  death;  /.  G.  Poitras,  the 
fearless,  who  is  laboring  at  Hull  and  in  the  Ottawa 
Valley;  Mme.  Scott,  unflagging  in  zeal  and  fearless 
in    controversy,  still    laboring    in    Montreal;    Mme. 
Leclerc,  who  had  charge  of  a  Bible  store;  Miss  Sara 
Piche,  strong  in  character,  also  at  one  time  teacher 

and  matron  in  the  Institute ; Millard,  a  French 

friar,   and    many    others,   as   Messrs.   Louis   Auger, 
Ouelette,  Viens,  Perrier,  Helie,  and  Miles.  Perusset, 
Northwood,  McBain,  Schayltz,  Rollin  and  Hall. 

(5)  Martyrs  in  the  Ranks.         There  may  not  be 
many  who  have  actually  been  called  upon  to  lay  down 
their  lives  for  their  faith,  but  they  are  few,  indeed, 
who  have  left  Romanism  for  the  sake  of  Jesus,  who 
have  not  suffered  much  material  loss  and  often  physi- 


GRANDE-LIGNE  227 

cal  injury.     One  who  has  become  a  martyr  for  his 
faith  as  truly  as  the  martyrs  of  old  is, — 

Mr.  Poissant.  Mr.  Poissant,  who  lived  at  St.  Isidore, 
30  miles  from  Grand  Ligne,  came  to  the  Mission  to 
enquire  into  the  truth.  He  received  Jesus,  and  his 
home  became  the  centre  of  a  deep  religious  work. 
Two  missionaries  visited  there.  One  evening  as  they 
sat  quietly  around  a  table,  reading  the  Scriptures,  a 
large  crowd  of  men,  armed  with  clubs,  entered  the 
house  and  viciously  attacked  Mr.  Pcissant.  He 
defended  himself  for  a  time,  but  was  finally  overcome 
by  numbers  and  struck  on  the  head  with  a  club,  and 
left  on  the  floor,  more  dead  than  alive.  Later,  he 
was  falsely  accused  of  perjury,  thrown  into  a  wagon, 
kicked  into  unconsciousness  and  driven  to  prison.  He 
came  out,  but  never  recovered  from  these  assaults, 
and  died  shortly  afterwards. 

8.  THE  RELIGIOUS  SITUATION  IN  QUEBEC. 

Roman  Catholism  thrives  best  under  the  protecting 
shadow  of  Protestant  institutions.  When  left  to  the 
logic  of  its  own  inward  nature  it  falls  into  excesses 
that  cause  many  of  its  followers  to  lose  faith  in  it. 
The  province  of  Quebec  is  probably  the  most 
thoroughly  Roman  Catholic  land  in  the  whole  world. 
Nowhere  can  be  found  more  sincere  believers  in  the 
teaching  of  the  Church,  more  regular  attendance  at 
its  services,  or  more  complete  obedience  to  clerical 
authority. 

The  Power  of  the  Church.  The  power  of  the  clergy 
is  almost  unlimited ;  it  extends  over  the  poor  and  un 
learned,  in  whom  it  is  enhanced  by  numerous  super- 


228         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

stitions.  It  extends  also  over  the  educated  classes, 
upon  whom  it  acts  indirectly,  if  not  always  directly. 
The  professional  depend  for  their  livelihood  upon  the 
common  people,  and  the  common  people  at  a  word 
from  their  priest  or  bishop  may  turn  against  any 
professional  man  and  leave  him  to  starve.  The 
clerical  influence  is  felt  in  the  school,  whatever 
its  rank,  from  the  parish  school  to  the  university. 
The  Council  of  Public  Instruction  is  largely  made  up 
of  Bishops.  The  same  influence  is  felt  in  the  Civic 
Courts,  where  the  laws  are  seldom  interpreted  other 
wise  than  favorably  to  the  Church.  Several  marriages 
have  been  annulled  recently  in  our  Courts,  to  the  sur 
prise  and  scandal  of  Protestants.  And  yet  well- 
informed  men,  who  are  qualified  to  speak  on  the  sub 
ject,  affirm  that  the  marriage  laws  of  the  province  are 
all  right  as  they  now  stand,  and  that  what  is  needed 
is  a  judiciary  not  under  the  power  of  the  Bishops, 
to  apply  them.  The  school,  the  court  house,  the  parlia 
ment,  the  factory,  the  shop  and  the  home  are  largely  in 
the  grip  of  Rome. 

Inner  Unrest.  It  does  not  follow  that  every  Roman 
Catholic  you  meet  is  a  sincere  believer  in  the  teach 
ings  of  his  church,  or  an  abject  slave  to  his  priest 
or  his  bishop.  The  poor  and  ignorant  man,  who  has 
lost  his  wife  and  has  had  to  sell  the  cow  which  fed 
his  children,  in  order  to  pay  for  the  funeral  service, 
will  readily  realize  that  everything  is  not  at  its  best 
in  the  "  good  mother  Church."  Those  who  have  an 
ordinary  education,  and  who  are  constantly  being 
warned  not  to  read  Protestant  books — not  even  the 
Bible  translated  and  recommended  by  their  own 


GRANDE-LIGNE  '229 

church — see  clearly  that  something  is  being  hidden 
from  them ;  while  many  professional  men  will  read 
Protestant  literature,  provided  that  it  is  not  too  religi 
ous  in  its  tone;  but  these  are  not  more  easily  reached 
than  the  others,  on  account  of  worldliness  and  perhaps 
secret  sin. 

Prospects.  The  prospects  are  slowly  but  surely 
improving.  At  times  there  will  be  evidences  of  a 
wonderful  advance  of  public  opinion  toward  the 
reception  of  the  truth,  this  may  continue  for  a  little 
time  and  then  everything  will  resume  its  old  position. 
This  may  be  repeated  many  times,  or  there  may  come 
sudden  developments  that  will  surpass  the  expectations 
of  the  most  sanguine — the  Lord  only  knows.  All 
reasonable  means  have  been  employed  and  with  some 
measure  of  success.  They  need  to  be  multiplied  and 
strengthened.  When  new  conditions  shall  arise  new 
methods  may  be  called  for,  and  we  shall  be  ready  to 
adopt  them. 

Our  Duty.  The  duty  of  every  Canadian  Christian 
to  help  forward  this  work  is  very  clear.  If  the 
province  of  Quebec  is  not  evangelized,  it  will  continue 
to  have  aims  and  interests  at  variance  with  the  rest  of 
the  Dominion  and  will  continue  to  make  it  difficult, 
if  not  impossible,  to  have  a  united  people.  Time,  pro 
gress  in  material  things,  even  education,  will  not  of 
themselves  make  a  people  united  or  great.  Whatever 
may  be  our  respective  views  of  the  importance  of 
national  unity,  or  of  having  the  same  ideals  throughout 
all  our  provinces,  there  is  something  of  even  far 
greater  importance  to  be  kept  in  mind : — The  salvation 
of  these  French  people,  the  carrying  out  of  the  great 


230         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Commission,  the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  Mary  with  all  her  holiness  (which  no  one 
denies),  and  all  her  devotion  to  the  "  Child  Jesus,"  is 
never  pointed  out  by  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  head  of  the 
Kingdom.  Jesus  Christ  must  be  crowned  Lord  of  all, 
even  in  the  Province  of  Quebec. 


PART  IV.-WESTERN  CANADA 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH. 

i.  LAYING  FOUNDATIONS. 

(1)  Beginnings.        First  Baptist.     The  distinction 
of  being  the  first  Baptist  to  settle  in  the  great  West 
probably  belongs  to  John  Morton,  a  man  who  has  been 
closely  associated  with  the  development    of    Baptist 
work  in  thait  part  of  British  Columbia.     He  belongs 
to  a  family  of  that  name  who  fled  from  Scotland  to 
England  more  than  three  hundred  years  ago,  to  avoid 
the  persecution  then  raging    against    the    Protestant 
religion   in   that   country.     Accompanied  by  William 
Hailstone   and    Samuel    Brighouse,   he   came   in   the 
autumn  of  1862  to  New  Westminster,  and  in  the  fol 
lowing  autumn,  with  an  Indian  guide,  explored  the 
forest-covered  peninsula  on  which  the  city  of  Van 
couver  now  stands.     Impressed  with  the  location,  Mr. 
Morton  persuaded  his  two  companions  to  join  him  in 
homesteading  almost  six  hundred  acres,  and  they  built 
their  cabin  a  little  West  of  where  the  splendid  new 
Post  Office  building  of  the  city  of  Vancouver  has 
recently  been  erected. 

(2)  First  Baptist  Missionary.     Although  for  some 
years  previously  the  claims  of  the  North- West,  as  this 
land  was  then  called,  had  been  a  topic  of  discussion- 

231 


THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

among  the  Baptist  leaders  of  Ontario,  the  first  denom 
inational  action  was  not  taken  until  1869.  That  year 
a  deputation,  consisting  of  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  L.  David 
son  and  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin,  was  sent  to  visit  the 
country  and  report.  The  report  of  the  committee 
was  so  favorably  received  that  a  fund  was  immediately 
raised  sufficient  to  sustain  a  missionary  for  three 
years.  It  was  not,  however,  until  1873  that  Rev.  Alex 
ander  McDonald,  the  pioneer  Baptist  missionary, 
readied  the  West.  It  had  taken  nine  days  to  travel 
from  London,  Ontario,  to  Winnipeg,  which  was  then 
a  small  hamlet  of  five  or  six  hundred  inhabitants,  with 
muddy  streets,  no  sidewalks,  small  log  or  lumber 
houses,  and  nothing  to  indicate  early  growth  into  a 
large  metropolis.  Here  he  was  welcomed  by  Mr.  W. 
R.  Dick,  a  loyal  Baptist,  who  for  years  was  a  devoted 
supporter  of  the  missionary  and  the  mainstay  of  the 
work.  After  carefully  studying  the  religious  condi 
tions  of  the  town,  Mr.  McDonald  began  to  scour  the 
country  looking  for  openings  for  Baptist  work.  He 
made  trips  by  stage  and  boat,  as  far  West  as  what  was 
then  known  as  Palestine,  now  Gladstone.  At  Portage 
la  Prairie,  where  he  expected  to  find  the  nucleus  of  a 
Baptist  cause,  he  found  a  number  of  Disciples,  who 
showed  him  much  personal  kindness  and  expressed 
great  appreciation  of  his  ministry.  Services  in  Win 
nipeg  were  first  held  in  the  schoolhouse,  which  was 
badly  located  and  inconvenient.  The  most  of  the  mis 
sionary's  work  had  to  be  done  from  house  to  house. 
He  began  a  prayer-meeting  in  his  boarding-house  and 
invited  all  praying  people  to  attend.  This  was  the 
first  prayer-meeting  held  in  Winnipeg,  and  soon  be 
came  quite  a  centre  of  religious  influence.  The  minis- 


WESTERN    CANADA  233 

ters  of  other  denominations  were  in  frequent  attend 
ance.  When  summer  came  the  immigration  sheds 
with  their  incoming  homeseekers  provided  large  audi 
ences  for  the  speaker.  His  pulpit  was  an  empty  box 
or  log,  and  the  seats  of  the  congregation  the  grass  plot 
in  front  of  the  sheds.  With  the  approach  of  the 
colder  weather  the  schoolhouse  was  exchanged  for  an 
upper  room  used  as  a  meeting-place  by  the  Good  Tem 
plars.  This  being  more  centrally  located  and  more 
comfortably  fitted,  a  better  attendance  was  secured. 
More  Baptists  were  moving  in,  and  by  autumn  the 
work  began  ito  present  a  more  hopeful  aspect. 

Eastern  Aid.  In  December,  1873,  Mr.  McDonald, 
at  the  request  of  a  Manitoba  Committee  of  the  Ontario 
Convention,  returned  to  the  East  in  search  of  funds 
for  the  building  of  a  house  of  worship  and  to  secure 
a  second  missionary.  The  funds  were  secured,  but  a 
second  missionary  was  not  appointed  at  that  time. 
Before  returning  to  the  West  in  1874,  Mr.  McDonald, 
on  June  Qth,  married  Lucinda  Elma  York,  of  Wards- 
ville,  Ontario,  who  thenceforth  was  closely  associated 
with  the  development  of  the  work. 

(3)  First  Baptist  Church.  The  building  of  the 
first  Baptist  house  of  worship  had  been  begun  during 
Mr.  McDonald's  absence,  by  Mr.  Dick,  who  himself 
donated  two  lots  for  -tihis  purpose.  The  money  sub 
scribed  was  not  found  sufficient  to  cover  the  cost  of 
the  building,  but  the  deficit  was  also  made  up  through 
the  generosity  of  Mr.  Dick.  The  church  was  thus 
dedicated  free  of  debt,  the  first  services  heing  held  on 
November  8th,  1874.  It  was  not,  'however,  until  the 
7th  of  February,  1875,  that  the  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Winnipeg  and  Western  Canada  was  fully  organized 


234         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

with  a  membership  of  seven.  The  constituent  mem 
bers  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  R.  Dick,  Mr.  Ruel  Clark, 
Mrs.  David  Linklater,  Mrs.  Thomas  Scott,  Rev.  A. 
McDonald  and  Mrs.  McDonald.  Of  these,  only  Mrs. 
Linklater  survives.  Its  first  baptismal  service — the 
first  in  all  the  West,  was  held  on  January  23rd,  1876, 
when  two  young  men  thus  entered  the  membership  of 
the  church.  The  first  candidate  was  Mr.  Alfred  Hill, 
nephew  of  Rev.  Thos.  Baldwin,  one  of  those  who  first 
came  to  spy  out  the  land.  This  church  became  self- 
supporting  in  1879.  The  statistics  of  the  following 
year  show  four  churches  organized  in  Western  Canada, 
with  a  total  membership  of  162. 

Other  Early  Churches.  In  October,  1876,  the 
church  at  Emerson  was  organized,  also  with  a  mem 
bership  of  seven,  and  Rev.  D.  McCaul,  who  had  moved 
into  the  country  in  1874,  became  its  first  pastor.  In 
1878  Rev.  John  Stewart  came  to  Stonewall  and  began 
missionary  work,  organizing  a  church  the  same  year. 
In  1879  Rev.  A.  C.  Turner,  formerly  a  Roman  Cath 
olic  priest,  was  ordained  to  the  Baptist  ministry  in 
Winnipeg,  and  took  the  oversight  of  the  interests  at 
Portage  la  Prairie  and  High  Bluff,  where  a  church 
was  organized  in  1881.  Rev.  James  Anderson  came 
this  year  and  took  charge  of  the  work  at  Emerson, 
succeeding  Rev.  James  McCaul.  About  this  time, 
also,  Rev.  William  Murdin  arrived  from  Ontario,  and 
began  Missionary  work.  Thus  workers  were  becom 
ing  more  numerous,  and  new  churches  were  being 
organized  with  each  succeeding  year. 

(4)  First   Association.      In  1881  a  few  representa 
tives  qf  the  little  group  of  Baptist  churches  met  in 


WESTERN    CANADA  235 

Winnipeg  and  organized  as  a  denomination  under  the 
title,  "Red  River  Association  of  Baptist  Churches." 
It  was  early  recognized  that  this  name  was  not  suffi 
ciently  comprehensive,  and  on  March  ist,  1882,  the 
organization  was  completed  as,  "  The  Missionary  Con 
vention  of  Manitoba,"  with  seven  constituent 
churches,  these  being  Winnipeg,  Emerson,  Stonewall, 
Portage  la  Prairie,  High  Bluff,  Rapid  City,  and  Glad 
stone.  At  the  request  of  this  Convention,  Mr.  McDon 
ald  resigned  the  pastorate  of  the  Winnipeg  First  Bap 
tist  Church,  to  become  pastor  at  large  and  care  for  the 
missionary  interests  of  all  the  churches.  In  this  work 
he  was  engaged  for  over  a  year.  He  was  succeeded 
in  First  Church,  Winnipeg,  by  Rev.  A.  A.  Cameron, 
who  brought  to  the  task  large  vision  and  enthusiasm. 
The  rapid  increase  in  the  population  of  Winnipeg  at 
this  time  made  necessary  an  enlargement  of  the  church 
building  and  brought  encouragement  to  the  entire 
Baptist  work.  By  1883  ten  churches  had  been  organ 
ized  in  the  prairie  territory,  with  a  membership  of 
five  hundred  persons. 

(5)  The  Baptist  Convention.  In  1884  the  name 
of  the  general  organization  was  changed  to  "  The  Bap 
tist  Convention  of  Manitoba  and  the  North-West  Ter 
ritories,"  and  by  June  3Oth,  1885,  there  were  thirteen 
churches,  with  ten  pastors  and  a  membership  of  641. 
Among  the  pastors  at  that  date  may  be  noted  the 
names  of  Rev.  Jesse  Gibson,  Rev.  J.  E.  Moyle,  Rev. 
H.  G.  Mellick,  and  Rev.  J.  E.  Davis,  while  on  the  list 
of  the  Board  of  Directors  are  found  the  names  of 
Messrs.  H.  E.  Sharpe,  G.  F.  Stephens,  J.  H.  Fairchild, 
S.  J,  McKee,  and  3,  L,  Head,  The  President  for  the 


236        THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

year  was  Mr  J.  B.  McArthur,  Q.C.,  while  Mr.  J.  F. 
Mclntyre  was  Recording  Secretary.  Messrs.  Robert 
Darrach  and  I.  E.  Fairclhild  were  the  Vice-Presidents. 
During  the  session  of  this  Convention  the  church  at 
Brandon  was  organized,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Best  was 
installed  as  pastor.  A  very  interesting  item  in  the 
report  of  the  Board,  at  this  time,  throws  considerable 
light  upon  the  movement  looking  towards  a  Baptist 
Union  of  Canada :  "  One  of  the  most  important  duties 
laid  upon  your  Board  during  the  past  year  was  that 
of  carrying  on  negotiations  through  your  Correspond 
ing  Secretary,  with  the  various  organizations  in  the 
East,  with  the  object  of  forming  a  union  of  Baptists 
throughout  the  Dominion,  for  the  carrying  on  of 
Missionary  work.  We  are  happy  to  say  that  the 
result  of  these  negotiations  has  been  most  successful. 
The  basis  of  union  will  be  laid  before  you  at  this 
Convention,  for  your  approval." 

(6)  Dominion   Board.     At  the  end  of  the  following 
year  there  were  reported  twenty  churches,  duly  organ 
ized,    with    a    membership    of    798.     The    Dominion 
Board,  above  referred  to,  carried  on  work  for  two 
years,  but  owing  to  some  musunderstandings  its  opera 
tions  were  not  satisfactory,  and  its  work  was  discon 
tinued  after  the  Convention  meeting  of  1887. 

(7)  Superintendent  of  Missions.     At  this  Conven 
tion  (1887)  a  new  departure  was  made  in  the  appoint 
ment  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Best  as  Superintendent  of  Mis 
sions.     Mr.  Best's  duties  were  to  visit  the  different 
sections  of  the  country   for  the  purpose  of  holding 
evangelistic  services,  organizing  churches,  to  collect 
funds,  -to  provide  pastors  for  the  various  fields,  and  to 


WESTERN    CANADA  237 

do  any  other  work  that  the  Executive  might  direct. 
In  addition  to  these  home  labors,  he  was  to  carry  on 
negotiations  with  the  Baptists  of  Eastern  Canada. 
This  breaking  down  of  the  arrangements  for  a  Domin 
ion  Board,  and  the  appointment  of  a  Superintendent, 
mark  a  new  period  in  the  history  of  our  work,  and 
end  the  epoch  which  might  be  called  the  beginnings 
of  Baptist  work  in  Western  Canada.  The  churches 
now  'having  a  free  hand  in  the  development  of  their 
undertakings  throughout  the  West,  gave  themselves 
earnestly  to  the  tasks.  A  number  of  churches  in  the 
growing  centres  of  population  assumed  the  responsi 
bilities  of  self  support.  Prospects  became  brighter  for 
large  developments  in  the  following  years. 

Privations  of  Pioneers.     The  sacrifices  and  hard 
ships  endured  by  those  who  had  left  the  settled  con 
ditions  in  the  East,  to  undertake  work  amid  the  raw 
surroundings  of  the  West,  can  only  be  imagined  in 
this  later  day.     One  missionary  of  this  time  tells  of 
the  poverty  endured  because  of  the  failure  of  crops 
among  his  parishioners.     He  and  his  family  lived  for 
more  than  two  weeks  on  oatmeal  and  water, 
the  gift  of  a  cow  made  living  easier  for  them,  and 
relieved  the  distress.     None  except  men  of  grit  and 
endurance  held  out  in  those  trying  days  when  founda 
tions  were  being  laid.     Pioneer  life  in  a  new  country 
always  involves  loneliness  and  hardship,  and  for  : 
one  more  than  the  missionary  and  his  wife, 
with  little  promise  of  the  landed  possessions  and  th< 
future  competence  which,  lure    the    average    settler 
shared  in  all  the  struggle  and  self-denial,  when  f 
was  scarce  and  shelter  scanty. 


238         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 
2.     PROGRESS  OF  THE;  WORK  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

(1)  Colporteur.      The  advance  of  the  earlier  years 
had  been  made  without  much  inter-church  organiza 
tion,  although  there  had  been  a  deep  spirit  of  brother 
hood  and  co-operation.     The  establishment  of  a  regu 
lar  Convention,  with  its  annual  meeting,  provided  an 
agency  for  more  efficient  effort  under  the  leadership 
of  an  efficient   Executive   Board.     In   addition   to  a 
Superintendent,  Rev.  R.   H.  Yule  was  appointed  in 
1883  to  the  office  of  Missionary  Colporteur.     His  duty 
was  to  visit  the  outlying  districts,  in  which  arduous 
work  he  rendered  years  of  noble  service.     The  life 
of  such  a  missionary  in  those  early  days  must  have 
been  trying  indeed.     Trains  were  by  ,no  means   fre 
quent,  and  connected  only  the  principal  places.     Other 
means  of  travel  were  very  primitive  and  tedious,  while 
the  accommodations  accorded  travellers  were  such  as 
necessity  cftctated,  rather  than  comfort.     Many  com 
munities  were  found  without  any  form  of  Christian 
service,  and  the  scattered  homesteaders  were  glad  of 
a  visitor  who  could  bring  to  them  a  ministry  of  com 
fort  and  courage. 

(2)  Superintendency   of   Rev.   J.  H.  Best.     When 
Mr.  Best  was  appointed  there  were  but  two  ordained 
missionary  pastors  left  on  the  fields  of  the  Conven 
tion   of   Manitoba    and   the    North-West   Territories. 
During  this  year,  however,  four  churches  declared  for 
self-support,  and  five  new  communities  were  occupied 
for   the   first   time.     The   Convention   report   for   the 
year  which  ended  April  3Oth,  1888,  shows  that  these 
churches  expended  for  all  purposes  $9,162.99,  while 
the  income  from  outside  sources  was  extremely  small. 


WESTERN    CANADA  239 

.Through  some  misunderstanding,  no  money  at  all  was 
received  from  the  Maritime  Provinces,  and  a  very 
meagre  amount  from  Ontario  and  Quebec.  The  next 
year's  work  proved  somewhat  more  favorable.  A 
delegation  was  sent  to  the  Maritime  Provinces  to  pre 
sent  the  interests  of  Western  Missions,  and  received  a 
hearty  welcome,  $1,000  being  pledged  to  Western 
work.  Rev.  J.  H.  Best  was  sent  to  appeal  to  the 
Ontario  and  Quebec  Baptists,  and  was  likewise  very 
cordially  received,  thus  laying  the  foundation  of  the 
large  support  given  /to  ,the  Western  cause  in  later  years. 
The  report  of  the  Executive  Board  shows  an  advance 
in  all  the  work;  the  territory  had  extended  until  it 
included  the  city  of  Calgary,  though  there  was  no 
church  between  Calgary  and  Brandon,  a  distance  of 
seven  hundred  miles.  The  Treasurer  reported  for  this 
year  the  Convention  receipts  for  Missions  as  $3,643.99, 
while  the  churches  themselves  had  expended  for  all 
purposes  $12,817.09.  The  plans  outlined  by  the  Con 
vention  of  this  year  sihow  the  deep  sense  of  respon 
sibility  which  prevailed  as  the  delegates  laid  the  foun 
dations  of  the  future  work  of  the  denomination.  An 
Educational  Committee  reported  on  the  advisability  of 
establishing  a  Western  College,  provided  an  adequate 
sustaining  fund  could  be  raised. 

(3)  Superintendency  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Doolittle.  At 
'ihe  close  of  the  Convention  year,  Rev.  J.  H.  Best 
resigned  the  Superintendency  to  resume  the  pastorate, 
and  Rev.  J.  H.  Doolittle,  pastor  of  the  Emerson  Bap 
tist  Church,  was  appointed  his  successor.  Mr.  Doo 
little,  however,  continued  in  this  office  for  only  a  short 
period,  when  he,  too,  re-entered  the  pastorate  at  Rapid 
City.  The  office  was  then  allowed  to  remain  vacant 


24o         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

for  a  time,  for  the  sake  of  economy.  Seven  new 
pastors  having  been  placed  on  the  field,  it  was  the 
opinion  of  the  Board  that  this  extra  outlay  could  best 
be  provided  for  by  administering  the  work  for  a  time 
without  a  paid  Superintendent.  The  pastors'  salaries 
throughout  the  Convention,  for  the  year  1889, 
amounted  to  $9,084.58,  of  which  the  Board  provided 
$2,077.50. 

(4)  Supervision  of  Rev.  A.  Grant.  During  the 
vacancy  of  the  Superintendency,  Rev.  Alexander 
Grant,  of  First  Church,  Winnipeg,  Corresponding  Sec 
retary  for  the  Board,  exercised  a  semi-official  super 
vision  of  the  whole  territory.  This  was  in  addition 
to  editing  the  North-West  Baptist  every  month,  ful 
filling  his  duties  as  a  pastor,  and  meeting  the  many 
demands  for  lecture  and  pulpit  work.  The  territory 
was  increased  during  this  year,  and  among  the  impor 
tant  points  opened  up  were  Lethbridge,  Moose  Jaw, 
and  Regina.  The  Treasurer  of  the  Convention 
reported  receipts  for  the  year  of  $5,763.68  Of  this 
$2,000  came  from  Ontario  and  Quebec,  and  $1,000 
from  the  Maritime  Provinces.  The  churches  had 
expended  for  themselves,  for  all  purposes,  $24,578.48. 
The  increase  in  expenditure  was  largely  due  to  the 
fact  that  fewer  of  the  churches  than  ever  before  had 
been  pastorless  during  the  year.  The  pastors'  salaries 
amounted  to  $14,475.00,  of  which  $3,777.00  was  pro 
vided  by  the  Board. 

Educational  Work.  The  work  done  along  the  edu 
cational  line  for  this  year  was  in  connection  with 
Manitoba  University.  A  house  was  secured,  and  stu 
dents  for  the  ministry  who  desired  to  remain  in  the 
West  and  pursue  their  duties  at  the  University  were 


WESTERN    CANADA  241 

boarded  here  at  a  cost  of  $3.00  per  week.  A  teacher 
was  secured  who  took  charge  of  the  house,  supervised 
the  studies  of  the  students,  and  directed  them  some 
what  in  theological  instruction.  There  were  sixteen 
students  in  all  during  the  year. 

(5)  Superintendency  of  Rev.  H.  G.  Mellick.  In 
April,  1892,  the  Board  called  Rev.  H.  G.  Mellick,  of  St. 
John,  New  Brunswick,  to  the  Superintendency.  Mr. 
Mellick  was  not  unacquainted  with  the  country,  having 
previously  served  in  several  of  the  churches.  The 
Convention  reports  of  the  work  this  year  show  an 
advance.  The  general  treasury  had  received  $7,605.33. 
Of  this  amount  $2,000  came  from  Ontario  and  Quebec, 
and  the  same  amount  came  from  the  Maritime  Pro 
vinces,  while  the  receipts  from  the  churches  of  Mani 
toba  had  considerably  increased.  During  the  follow 
ing  years  Mr.  Mellick  was  tireless  in  has  labors  in  both 
the  West  and  East.  During  the  first  year  of  his 
Superintendency  eleven  new  pastors  were  settled  on 
the  field,  and  the  frontiers  of  the  work  pushed  as  far 
north  and  west  as  Edmonton.  His  trips  to  the  eastern 
provinces  were  of  very  large  value  in  deepening  the 
interest  there  in  the  great  field  of  Western  Canada. 
He  continued  in  office  until  1897,  when  he  resigned  to 
re-enter  the  pastorate.  The  reports  of  the  Convention 
which  closed  his  labors  show  the  receipts  of  the  Trea 
sury  to  have  amounted  to  $10,959.51.  The  number  of 
churches  reporting  in  this  year  were  59,  with  a  total 
membership  of  3,130. 

Death  of  Alexander  Grant,  Shortly  after  Mr. 
Mellick's  resignation  a  very  severe  blow  fell  upon  the 
Baptist  work  in  Western  Canada  and  upon  the  people, 
in  the  tragic  death  of  Rev.  Alexander  Grant,  who  was 

16 


242         THE    BAPTISTS    OF    CANADA 

drowned  August  3rd,  1897,  when  on  his  summer  vaca 
tion.  Up  to  the  last  Mr.  Grant  had  given  all  his 
strong,  virile  manhood  for  the  Baptist  cause  in  West 
ern  Canada,  and  but  a  few  weeks  before  his  death 
had  attended  the  Baptist  Convention  of  Ontario  and 
Quebec,  held  in  London,  where,  in  a  powerful  address 
on  "  Horizon,"  he  pleaded  the  cause  of  Baptist  Mis 
sions  in  Western  Canada.  His  ministry  still  lives  in 
many  hearts  and  lives  of  the  country  whose  lure  was 
so  strong  within  him. 

(6)  Superintendency  of  Mr.  Vining.  A  few 
weeks  after  Mr.  Grant's  death  Rev.  A.  J.  Vining  was 
appointed  Superintendent  of  Missions.  Mr.  Vining's 
coming  into  office  was  at  a  most  opportune  time.  The 
years  preceding  this  had  'been  made  difficult  by  the 
financial  depression  which  had  extended  over  the 
entire  continent  and  had  greatly  retarded  the  develop 
ment  of  this,  the  newest  West.  Uncertain  crops  had 
made  it  hard  to  enlarge  the  interests  already  founded, 
and  the  difficulties  experienced  by  the  new  settlers 
in  getting  a  foothold  made  every  gift  to  missions  a 
real  sacrifice.  With  this  year  brighter  hopes  dawned 
upon  the  churches,  and  new  courage  inspired  the 
leaders.  It  was  during  this  period  that  some  of  those 
whose  names  have  been  very  closely  associated  with 
the  development  of  the  work  came  into  Western 
Canada.  Rev.  W.  C.  Vincent  'became  pastor  at  Rapid 
City  and  was  called  shortly  afterward  to  the  Logan 
Avenue  Baptist  Churc'h,  Winnipeg.  After  a  pastor- 
less  period  of  about  two  years,  John  MacNeill  was 
called  to  the  First  Church,  Winnipeg,  where  he  was 
ordained  on  October  24th,  1899,  and  entered  upon  the 
strong  pastorate  which  meant  so  much  to  the  work  of 


WESTERN    CANADA  243 

the  whole  West.  It  was  with  Mr.  Vining's  Superin- 
tendency  that  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Western 
Canada  grew  to  a  deeper  consciousness  of  its  own 
strength,  and  began  to  measure  its  strength  against 
the  opportunities  and  responsibilities  of  the  rapidly 
developing  country. 

Marks  of  Progress.     By  1900  there  were  sixty-nine 
churches,  while  175  points  were  touched  with  regular 
services,  and   forty  churches  reported  property,  esti 
mating  their  value  at  $115,000.     These  forty  buildings 
accommodated  ten  thousand  people,  and  the  average - 
Sunday  attendance  was  six  thousand.     The  member 
ship  reported  was  4,111,  while  during  that  year  347 
were  received  into  membership  by  baptism,  and  280 
by  letter.      These  churches   had   expended   for  local 
purposes  $44,115,78,    and    their    benevolent  offerings 
amounted  to  $6,245.70,  making  a  total  for  all  purposes 
of  $50,361.50,  or  an  average  of  $12.00  per  member. 
Brandon  College  was  established  during  this  Conven 
tion  year,  in  the  city  of  Brandon,  and  Western  Bap 
tists  subscribed  $14,510  toward  the  project.     In  spite 
of  all  these  local  and  other  burdens,  the  receipts  of 
the    Convention    treasury    show    a    great    increase, 
$18,847.35  being  the  receipts   for  work  on  the  fields 
of   Western    Canada.      This   increase   in   the   income 
of  the  Home  Mission  treasury  was  largely  due  to  the 
systematic  effort  in  the  East.    Of  this  amount,  Ontario 
and   Quebec   provided   $9,734.42,   and   the    Maritime 
Provinces  $4,755.91. 

National  Baptist  Convention.     This  year  was  also 
notable  because  of  the  meeting  of  the  National  Bap 
tist   Convention   which   convened   in   Winnipeg,  July 
^5th  to  i3th.    Representatives  from  all  the  Provinces 


244         "THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

in  Canada  were  present,  and  a  great  enthusiasm  was 
manifested.  The  visit  of  these  Baptists  from  the  East 
did  much  to  enlist  the  interest,  sympathy,  and  support 
of  the  Baptist  host  across  the  country,  in  the  work  that 
was  being  done. 

(7)  Appointment  of  Rev.  W.  T.  Stackhouse.  At 
the  end  of  the  Convention  year  of  1900-1901,  Mr. 
Vining  resigned  from  the  Superintendency  and  Rev. 
W.  T.  Stackhouse  was  appointed  as  his  successor, 
entering  immediately  into  the  office. 

3.   THE   PACIFIC   PROVINCE. 

Beginnings  of  Baptist  Effort.  The  Province  of 
British  Columbia  was  only  three  years  old,  and  its  com 
munities  were  still  very  few  and  very  small  when  Bap 
tists  'began  their  ecclesiastical  history  in  that  Province. 
Mr.  Alex.  Clyde,  from  Stratford,  Ontario,  went  to 
Victoria  in  December,  1874.  He  gathered  the  few 
Baptists  of  the  city  together,  and  they  met  for  wor 
ship  in  each  other's  homes.  Rev.  William  Carnes, 
being  called  to  minister  to  them,  became  the  first  Bap 
tist  pastor,  on  March  29th,  1876. 

(1)  First  Church.  Preaching  services  were  con 
ducted  for  four  Sundays  in  the  Philharmonic  Hall  on 
Fort  Street,  and  on  May  3rd,  1876,  a  regular  Baptist 
Church  was  organized,  with  sixteen  constituent  mem 
bers.  These  were: — William  Carnes,  Alexander 
Clyde,  Mrs.  Clyde,  C.  Bishop,  F.  Spotts,  Mrs.  Spotts, 
,T.  W.  Pierre,  Alfred  Oldershaw,  Mrs.  Johnson,  T. 
Matthews,  John  Sluggett,  Ang.  Christopher,  M.  F. 
Bailey,  Mrs.  Bailey,  Mrs.  Page,  and  Mrs.  Pierre.  The 
deacons  were  Brethren  Clyde  and  Bishop,  while 
Brethren  Oldershaw  and  Bailey  were  clerk  and  trea- 


WESTERN    CANADA  245 

surer.     In  1877  the  church  affiliated  with  the  Pu^et 
bound  Association  of  the  northwestern  states. 

In  June,  1876,  a  lot  on  Pandora  Street  had  been 
purchased  for  $1,150,  and  a  building  committee  ap 
pointed  empowered  to  'borrow  what  money  they  may 
require  for  building  the  Baptist  Chapel."  In  January 
1877,  the  first  Baptist  church  edifice,  a  building  thirty- 
six  feet  by  fifty  feet,  was  dedicated.  Rev.  J.  C  Baker 
of  the  Publication  Society  of  San  Francisco,  was  a 
loyal  friend  and  supporter  of  the  church  in  its  early 
struggles. 

In  May,  1877,  Mr.  Carnes  resigned.  His  successors 
were  Rev.  I.  H.  Teele,  Rev.  Geo.  Everton,  Rev.  Joseph 
Beaven.  About  the  time  Mr.  Beaven's  pastorate  closed, 
the  long  struggle  of  the  little  church  to  carry  the  in 
debtedness  was  brought  to  an  end  by  the  foreclosure 
of  the  mortgage.  Discouraged  by  this  event,  and  by 
the  difficulties  which  had  long  existed  between  the  white 
and  the  colored  members,  the  church  disbanded  on 
June  30th,  1883. 

(2)  Calvary  Baptist  Church.  On  July  3rd,  how 
ever,  twenty-ithree  members  of  the  original  church 
re-organized  under  the  name  of  the  Calvary  Baptist 
Church.  In  October  they  secured  a  new  building  site, 
and  in  February,  1884,  Rev.  Walter  Barss  was  called 
to  the  pastorate.  A  period  of  gratifying  prosperity 
began.  Additions  were  made  to  the  membership.  A 
church  edifice  was  erected  and  dedicated  free  of  debt, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $4,500,  and  a  Mission  was  estab 
lished,  which,  in  a  few  years,  developed  into  an  inde 
pendent  church.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  M.  R. 
Rugg,  D.D.,  who  was  to  be  a  strong  factor  in  the 
development  of  the  Baptist  work  of  British  Columbia. 


246         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

(3)  New  Westminster  Church.     This  church  was 
organized  on  August  igth,  1878.    For  a  short  time  they 
were  served  through  a  monthly  service  by  Mr.  Teelfc> 
pastor  of  the  Victoria  church.    This  arrangement,  how 
ever,  was  soon  terminated,  public  services  were  allowed 
to  cease,  and  the  church  became  practically  extinct. 
In  1883,  as  the  result  of  an  appeal  made  to  the  Puget 
Sound  Association,  Rev.  Robert  Lennie  was  sent  to 
visit  the  field,  and  in  1885  became  pastor.    The  Ameri 
can  Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society  rallied  to  the 
support.      The   work   prospered   under   Mr.   Lennie's 
ministry,  and  in  the  Autumn  of  1886  a  brick  church 
edifice,  valued,  together  with  die  site,  at  over  $6,000, 
was   dedicated   free   of   debt.     Mr.   Lennie   was   suc 
ceeded  by  Rev.  Thos.  Baldwin,  and  he  by  Rev.  J.  H. 
Best,  in  1897. 

(4)  Other   Churches.       The  First  Baptist  Church, 
of  Vancouver,  was  organized  in  1887,  and  a  building 
erected.    Rev.  J.  B.  Kennedy  became  its  first  pastor  in 
the  following  January.     Mount  Pleasant  and  Jackson 
Avenue  churches,  both  in  Vancouver,  were  organized 
in   1891   and    1894,   respectively.     Other   churches   at 
various  points  in  the  Province  came  into  existence  from 
year  to  year — Nanaimo  in   1889,  Emmanuel  Church, 
Victoria,   1890,  Chilliwack,   1893,  until  to-day   (June, 
1911)  there  are  41  churches,  with  32,000  members. 

In  the  early  years  the  churches  were  associated  with 
the  Puget  Sound  Association,  which  was  later  known 
as  "  The  Northwest  Baptist  Convention,"  and  included 
the  Baptist  churches  of  Western  Washington  and 
British  Columbia. 

(5)  The    British    Columbia     Church     Extension 
Society.    On  April  I4th,  1896,  the  British  Columbia 


WESTERN    CANADA  24? 

Baptist  Church  Extension  Society  was  organized,  at  a 
meeting  held  in  First  Church,  Vancouver,  with  Rev. 
J.  H.  Best  as  President,  Rev.  W.  T.  Stackhouse,  Secre 
tary,  Wm.  Marchan-t,  Esq.,  Treasurer,  and  Rev.  R.  W. 
Trotter,  Financial  Agent.    Others  who  were  active  in 
this  organization  were  Rev.  W.  A.  Gunton  of  Nanaimo, 
Rev.  P.  C.  McGregor  of  Chilliwack,  and  Rev.  G.  C. 
King  of  Jackson  Avenue  Church,  Vancouver.    There 
were   at   that   time   eight   organized   churches   in  the 
Province,  of  which  only  three  were  self-supporting. 
On  April   I4th,   1897,  the  Extension  Society  met  in 
Convention  in  Victoria,  when  Rev.  D.  D.  Proper,  Gen 
eral  Missionary  of  the  Baptists  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
reported  enthusiastically  on  the  prospects  for  work  in 
the  interior  of  the  Province.    About  this  time,  however, 
the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  owing 
to  their  heavy  indebtedness,  found  it  impossible  to  con 
tinue   their  appropriations  toward  British   Columbia, 
and  the  churches  of  that  Province  were  notified  that 
the  appropriations  would  cease  after  September  3Oth, 

1897. 

(6)  The  Baptist  Convention  of  British  Columbia. 
A    second   denominational   gathering   was,   therefore, 
called   in    1897   to   consider   this   emergency      tt  met 
with   First   Church,   Vancouver,   on   July   ;th. 
Extension  Society  agreed  to  dissolve,  and  the     Baptis 
Convention  of  British  Columbia"  was  brought  into 
existence,  with  Rev.  P.  H.  McEwen  as  first  President; 
Rev   W.  T.  Stackhouse,  Vice-President ;  O.  H.  Cogs 
well,'  Secretary ;  and  Wm.  Marchant,  Treasurer, 
members  of  the  Board  who  have  ever  since  been  prom 
inently  identified  with  the  work  of  that :  Pro^c :     are 
E.  B.  Morgan,  of  Vancouver,  and  A.  B.  McNeill,  o 


248         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Victoria.  There  were  eleven  churches  united  in  this 
Convention,  reporting  an  aggregate  membership  of 
1,050,  and  a  grand  total  raised  that  year  by  these 
churches  of  $9,953.22,  for  all  purposes.  From  year 
to  year  the  annual  reports  show  steady  progress  in 
respect  to  the  perfecting  of  the  organization,  the  growth 
of  churches  and  the  missionary  income.  Rev.  R.  W. 
Trotter  deepened  the  interest  of  the  Baptists  in  the 
older  Conventions  of  Canada  by  a  strong  campaign 
which  he  carried  on  as  financial  agent  for  the  Baptists 
of  British  Columbia,  in  the  Eastern  Provinces.  The 
first  annual  report  on  Home  Missions  was  presented 
on  July  6th,  1898,  by  Mr.  Stackhouse,  who  was  at  that 
time  pastor  of  the  First  Church,  Vancouver.  This 
report  provided  a  most  encouraging  review  of  the  work 
being  done  on  the  mission  fields  of  the  Convention, 
which  were  being  served  by  a  splendid  contingent  of 
missionaries.  In  the  reports  of  this  year,  J.  B. 
McArthur,  Esq.,  of  Rossland,  who  had  previously  been 
associated  with  the  early  development  of  the  Baptist 
work  of  the  prairies,  receives  grateful  mention. 
Among  other  names  which  appear  for  the  first  time 
in  the  annals  of  the  Baptists  of  British  Columbia  are 
those  of  I.  G.  Matthews  and  G.  R.  Welsh. 

(7)  Superintendent  of  Missions.  In  1899  a  for 
ward  step  was  taken  in  the  appointment  of  Rev.  J.  E. 
Coombes  as  Corresponding  Secretary  and  Superintend 
ent  of  Missions  for  the  Convention.  A  year  later  Mr. 
Coombes  was  succeeded  in  this  office  by  Rev.  P.  H. 
McEwen,  who,  for  several  years  thereafter,  served  the 
Convention  in  this  important  position.  During  this 
period  he  was  not  only  untiring  in  his  efforts  within 
the  Province,  but  served  the  larger  interests  of  the 


WESTERN  CANADA 

Baptist  work  of  the  Dominion,  in  bringing  through 
his  pen  and  by  his  presence  in  the  East  a  closer  bond 
of  fellowship  between  the  mountain  Province  and  the 
other  Provinces  of  Canada.  To  his  sane  policies,  his 
broad  sympathy,  his  quiet  and  forceful  administration, 
the  progress  of  the  work  in  these  years  as  well  as  the 
foundations  of  denominational  life  in  the  Province 
are  indebted  in  a  very  large  way. 

Among    those    who,    during   the    period   of    Mr. 
McEwen's  Superintendency  came  into  prominence  as 
members  of  the  Board  and  counsellors  in  the  work, 
are  Dr.  L.  N.  McKechnie,  Rev.  J.  F.  Vichert,  Mr.  C.  s! 
Stevens,  and  Rev.  F.  W.  Auvache.     The  last  named, 
almost   from  the   beginning   of   his   work   in   British 
Columbia,  has  held  the  office  of  Secretary.     In  this 
capacity  he  has  rendered  a  most  careful  and  accurate 
service,  fully -deserving  of  the  appreciation  which  he 
has  received  from  those  among  whom  he  has  worked. 
(8)  Convention's  Enterprise.     In  1899  the  Conven 
tion  decided  upon  the  establishment  of  a  denominational 
paper,  and  appointed  as  editor    Rev.  W.  B.  Hinson, 
who  had  succeeded  Mr.  Stackhouse  in  the  pastorate  of 
First  Church,  Vancouver.     The  broad  horizon  of  the 
British  Columbia  Baptists  and  their  strong  efforts  to 
seize  every  opportunity  of  service  are  clearly  indicated 
in  the  minutes  of  the  Convention,  from  year  to  year. 
The  Sunday  School  work  has,  from  the  beginning  of 
the  Convention,  received  strong  emphasis.    The  work 
of  the  Baptist  Women  also  has  come  very  close  to  the 
heart  of  the  Convention  as  a  whole,  and  no  other  Board 
has  been  given  a  more  prominent  place  in  the  Con 
vention  gatherings,  than  that  on  women's  work.    The 
President  of  this  Board  has  almost  invariably  been  a 


250         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Vice-President  of  the  Convention.  This  office  has  been 
held  by  Mrs.  P.  H.  McEwen,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Postill,  Mrs. 
Wm.  Grant,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Spofford,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Hill, 
Mrs.  J.  Templar. 

(9)  Changes  in  Management.  In  1904,  Rev.  P.  H. 
McEwen  closed  his  work  as  Superintendent  of  Mis 
sions,  and  it  was  decided  at  the  Convention  of  that 
year  that  the  office  of  "  General  Missionary  and  Evan 
gelist  "  be  substituted  for  that  previously  known  as 
"  Superintendent  of  Missions."  Shortly  after  this 
time,  however,  a  movement  was  started,  looking  toward 
co-operation  between  the  Convention  of  British  Colum 
bia  and  that  of  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest,  par 
ticularly  in  respect  to  a  joint  Superintendency  of  Home 
Mission  work.  An  arrangement  had  previously  been 
effected  by  which  the  interests  of  both  Conventions 
were  presented  in  Eastern  Canada,  by  the  one  repre 
sentative.  A  like  plan  has  been  adopted  in  respect  to 
join-t-representation  in  Great  Britain.  In  1905  the 
arrangement  in  respect  to  the  joint-superintendency 
went  into  effect,  with  Rev.  W.  T.  Stackhouse  as  Super 
intendent  of  Missions  for  the  two  Conventions.  This 
policy  was  continued  for  two  years,  but  in  1906  the 
Board  of  British  Columbia  Convention  opened  negotia 
tions  with  that  of  the  sister  Convention,  looking  toward 
full  union.  The  result  was  "  The  Baptist  Union  of 
Western  Canada,"  described  in  Section  4. 

In  this  year,  also,  Scandinavian  Mission  work  was 
undertaken  for  the  first  time  in  the  Province.  About 
the  same  time  a  movement  was  inaugurated,  which 
resulted  in  the  establishment  of  Okanagan  College,  at 
Summerland. 


MEN  OF  THE  WEST. 


MR.  JOHN  MORTON. 
REV.  W.  T.  STACKHOUSE. 


REV.  A,  MCDONALD. 
MR.  H.  E.  SHARPE. 


WESTERN   CANADA  351 

(10)  Rev.  D.  E.  Hatt.     In  February,  of  1907,  Rev. 

D.  E.  Hatt  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  Missionary 
Evangelist  for  the  Province  of  British  Columbia.  He 
brought  to  the  tasks  of  this  onerous  office  boundless 
energy  and  enthusiasm,  which  meant  much  in  the 
expansion  of  the  work  in  many  sections  of  the  Pro 
vince.  At  the  Convention  gathering,  held  in  Summer- 
land,  in  July,  1907,  the  organization  of  five  new 
churches  was  reported.  Twenty-seven  churches 
appeared  on  the  roll,  and  over  ninety  delegates  repre 
sented  them  in  the  annual  meeting. 

Through  the  union  with  the  Baptists  of  the  Prairie 
Provinces  the  Baptists  of  British  Columbia  have  made, 
and  will  continue  to  make,  their  own  splendid  contri 
bution  to  the  life  of  all.  They,  with  the  churches  of 
the  plains,  will  reap  in  equal  measure,  the  advantages 
of  that  reciprocity  of  thought  and  inspiration  which 
will  increasingly  stimulate  and  dignify  the  Baptist  con 
sciousness  in  these  rapidly  developing  Provinces. 

4.    EXPANSION  AND  UNION  WITH  BRITISH  COLUMBIA 
CONVENTION. 

(1)  Superintendency  of  Dr.  Stackhouse.  The  life 
of  no  leader  among  the  Baptists  of  Western  Canada 
is  more  intimately  woven  into  the  warp  and  woof  of 
their  history  than  is  that  of  W.  T.  Stackhouse  for  the 
years  1901  to  1908.  They  were  growing  years  for 
this  great  new  country.  During  that  period  the 
churches  prospered  and  multiplied  beyond  all  past 
record,  the  roll  of  ministers  and  missionaries  more 
than  doubled,  and  the  aggregate  membership  of  the 
churches  in  the  prairie  Provinces  increased  from  4,700 


252         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

to  over  8,000  persons.  Under  his  leadership  also  new 
ideals  of  stewardship  took  possession  of  the  churches, 
resulting  in  great  increase  in  the  funds  of  the  general 
treasury.  But  beyond  these  lines  of  progress,  which 
can  be  indicated  by  numerical  and  financial  tables, 
perhaps  the  very  greatest  contributions  made  by  Mr. 
Stackhouse  to  the  denomination's  life  were  in  the 
development  of  a  healthy  optimism  and  in  the  inculca 
tion  of  a  spirit  of  genial  and  generous  statesmanship. 
Everywhere  throughout  the  Convention  field  his  deep 
kindliness  inspired  affection,  and  his  faith  in  God  and 
men  brought  courage  to  the  workers. 

Appointment  of  Rev.  C.  C.  McLaurin  as  General 
Missionary.  At  the  same  time  that  Mr.  Stackhouse 
was  called  to  the  Superintendency,  Rev.  C.  C. 
McLaurin,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Brandon,  was  called 
to  the  work  of  General  Missionary.  The  choice  proved 
a  wise  one,  for  no  two  men  ever  worked  together  in 
happier  or  more  healthful  relations  than  did  these  two. 
For  the  work  laid  upon  him,  Mr.  McLaurin  showed  a 
peculiar  fitness.  No  tasks  were  too  onerous,  no  jour 
neys  so  taxing  as  to  cause  him  hesitation.  Many  a 
struggling  church  and  many  lonely  homesteaders  have 
had  occasion  to  be  grateful  for  the  sympathetic  and 
unbargaining  ministry  of  the  years  spent  in  this  office. 

Appointment  of  Rev.  D.  B.  Harkness.  In  the  sum 
mer  of  1904  a  new  departure  was  made  in  the  creation 
of  a  department  of  non-English  Missions,  and  Rev.  D. 
B.  Harkness  was  called  to  take  charge  under  the  gen 
eral  supervision  of  Mr.  Stackhouse.  In  a  very  short 
time  it  became  evident  that  the  services  of  this  latest 
addition  to  the  staff  could  be  of  greatest  value  as  an 
assistant  to  Mr.  Stackhouse  in  the  work  as  a  whole. 


WESTERN   CANADA  253 

In  the  spring  of  1906,  therefore,  the  title  was  changed 
from  Superintendent  of  Non-English  Missions,  to 
Assistant  Superintendent,  which  relation  continued 
during  the  remainder  of  Mr.  Stackhouse's  term  of 
office. 

Broadened  Relations.  During  these  years  also  many 
advances  were  made  in  respect  to  relations  existing 
between  the  Baptists  of  Western  Canada  and  Baptist 
organizations  elsewhere.  Rev.  A.  J.  V/ining  became 
representative  in  Great  Britain,  to  be  followed  after 
two  and  a  half  years  by  Rev.  J.  B.  Warnicker.  Both 
of  these  brethren  rendered  splendid  service  in  bringing 
about  a  better  understanding  between  the  mother  coun 
try  and  this  new  land.  A  Board  of  Western  Missions 
was  'brought  into  being  in  the  Ontario  and  Quebec 
Convention  and  later  in  that  of  the  Maritime  Provinces. 
In  Ontario  and  Quebec,  Rev.  Walter  Daniel  was 
appointed  Field  Secretary,  and  has  contributed  greatly 
to  the  deepened  interest  in  those  Provinces  toward 
the  newer  part  of  the  Dominion.  The  German  Baptist 
and  Swedish  Baptist  organizations  in  United  States 
came  into  a  co-operative  fellowship  in  the  work  in 
Western  Canada.  These  advances  all  indicate  the 
deepening  sense  of  responsibility  'toward  Western 
Canada  among  Baptists,  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

(2)  loint  Superintendency.  The  years  1906  and 
1907  stand  out  prominently  in  'the  history  of  Baptists 
in  the  Western  Provinces,  by  reason  of  a  number  of 
movements  which  developed  or  culminated  during  these 
years.  Early  in  this  period  a  degree  of  union  was 
effected  between  the  Baptist  Convention  of  Manitoba 
and  the  Northwest,  and  the  Baptist  Convention  of 
British  Columbia,  by  the  arrangement  of  a  joint  Super- 


254         -THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

intendency.  Rev.  W.  T.  Stackhouse  was  appointed  by 
each  Convention  as  joint  Superintendent,  although  the 
organizations  remained  distinct. 

"  Big  Four  Mission  Fund."  In  the  Fall  of  the  same 
year  (1906),  a  missionary  campaign  was  'launched  at 
Calgary,  which  gave  promise  of  providing  for  a  very 
great  extension  in  the  work.  Many  business  men  sub 
scribed  in  large  amounts  to  what  was  called  the  "  Big 
Four  Mission  Fund,"  in  deference  to  the  four  great 
Provinces  of  the  West.  This  movement  among  the 
Baptists  of  Western  Canada  was  'contemporary  with 
the  Laymen's  Missionary  Movement  in  the  Eastern 
pant  of  the  United  States,  and  was  shortly  afterward 
linked  with  the  latter  so  far  as  organization  was  con 
cerned.  The  new  conceptions  of  missionary  giving 
then  implanted  have  been,  and  will  continue  to  be,  of 
increasing  value  to  (the  work  of  the  churches  in  respect 
to  both  local  endeavor  and  general  missions. 

Changes  in  Organisation.  The  following  spring 
provision  was  made  for  more  effective  field  work  by 
the  appointment  of  Rev.  C.  K.  Morse  as  General  Mis 
sionary  in  Manitoba,  Rev.  C.  B.  Freeman  in  Saskatche 
wan,  and  Rev.  C.  C.  McLaurin  in  Alberta.  About  the 
same  time  Mr.  Stackhouse  was  relieved  of  detail  field 
supervision  in  British  Columbia,  'by  the  appointment  of 
Rev.  D.  E.  Hatt  as  General  Missionary  there. 

(3)  The  Baptist  Convention  of  Western  Canada. 
The  annual  meeting  of  the  Convention  of  Manitoba 
and  the  Northwest,  for  1907,  was  held  in  June,  at 
Edmonton.  At  this  time  negotiations  which  had  been 
under  way  looking  toward  union  with  the  Baptist 
Convention  in  British  Columbia  took  definite  form, 
when  the  Convention  entrusted  the  General  Board 


WESTERN    CANADA 


255 


with  full  power  to  act,  in  arranging  the  details  of  such 
a  union.  The  following  month  the  Convention  of  Brit 
ish  Columbia,  in  session  at  Summerland,  took  similar 
action,  and  as  a  result  a  union  meeting  of  the  Con 
ventions  concerned,  was  called  at  Calgary  for  Novem 
ber  I9th  and  2Oth,  1907.  Here  the  union  of  the  two 
Conventions  was  consummated  under  the  name  of 
"  The  Baptist  Convention  of  Western  Canada."  At  the 
time  of  Union  there  were  in  the  four  Provinces,  185 
organized  churches,  with  an  aggregate  of  more  than 
10,000  Baptist  church  members. 

In  such  a  record  as  is  here  given,  it  is  impossible  to 
indicate  in  any  adequate  way  'the  development  of  these 
seven  years.  While  the  figures  will  give  some  idea  of 
the  multiplication  of  the  churches,  the  true  progress  of 
the  work  is  better  indicated  in  the  deepened  sense  of 
denominational  unity  and  of  mutual  interest  throughout 
the  entire  area. 

5.     ORGANIZATION  AND  INTER-PROVINCIAL 
RELATIONS. 

(1)  Conditions.  Financial  Crisis.  Just  about  the 
time  that  the  Union  spoken  of  in  the  last  section  was 
effected,  the  severe  financial  depression  so  keenly  felt  in 
this  newer  section  of  the  Dominion  multiplied  the  prob 
lems  of  Home  Missionary  endeavor.  This  was  particu 
larly  true  of  Baptists  in  Western  Canada  who,  while 
receiving  contributions  from  Eastern  Baptists  toward 
their  work,  lacked  the  strong  moral  support  as  well  as 
direct  financial  responsibility  enjoyed  by  other  denom 
inations  whose  organization  is  Dominion-wide, 
closing  meetings  of  the  two  former  Conventions  had 


256        THE  BAPTISTS  OF  CANADA 

committed  the  new  organization  to  many  undertakings 
involving  very  large  increases  in  expenditure.  The 
sudden  and  very  great  shrinkage  in  income  brought 
the  general  Board  of  the  Convention  face  to  face  with 
the  severest  financial  struggle  in  the  history  of  the 
denomination.  In  the  midst  of  the  crisis  the  decision 
of  the  Board  was  that  the  honor  of  the  denomination 
must  be  sustained  at  all  hazards.  To  this  end  arrange 
ments  were  made  for  the  carrying  of  such  indebtedness 
as  would  be  necessary  to  sustain  the  work  without 
serious  sacrifice.  It  was  such  a  time  as  brings  the 
severest  .tests  of  loyalty  and  self-sacrifice,  ibut  the 
wisdom  of  the  Board's  action  has  been  amply  sustained, 
in  the  experiences  of  the  years  that  have  followed 
and  the  present  standing  of  the  work. 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  larger  Convention 
wias  held  in  November,  1908,  with  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  Vancouver.  The  reports  then  presented  cov 
ered  a  period  of  fifteen  months,  and  showed  a  total 
of  201  churches,  with  a  membership  of  over  11,000. 
The  baptisms  for  the  year  reached  1,150,  this  being 
the  largest  annual  total  in  the  history  of  the  churches. 

Withdrazval  of  Dr.  Stackhouse.  This  was  -the  last 
annual  meeting  during  the  Superintendency  of  Mr. 
Stackhouse.  In  February  following,  he  resigned  his 
office  to  take  up  the  work  as  General  Secretary  of  the 
Baptist  Laymen's  Missionary  Movement  of  Canada. 
Rev.  D.  B.  Harkness,  who  for  five  years  had  been 
closely  associated  with  Mr.  Stackhouse  as  an  assistant 
in  the  work,  was  appointed  his  successor,  entering  upon 
the  office  in  the  middle  of  February,  1909.  The  with*- 
drawal  of  Dr.  Stackhouse  from  the  direct  leadership 
of  the  work  in  Western  Canada  was  very  keenly 


WESTERN    CANADA  257 

deplored  by  all,  although  it  was  recognized  that  he 
was  so  eminently  fitted  by  qualities  of  mind  and  by 
his  years  of  training,  for  the  new  work  upon  which 
he  entered.  No  words  of  appreciation  of  his  work 
could  truly  indicate  the  affectionate  esteem  in  which 
this  man  was  held  by  those  for  whom,  and  among 
whom,  he  served  in  Western  Canada.  To  him,  more 
than  to  any  other,  is  attributable  the  kindly  code  of 
missionary  diplomacy  which  has  meant  so  much  to 
the  cementing  of  the  Baptist  interests  in  this  great 
new  land. 

(2)  Principles  of  Organization.  The  period  cov 
ered  by  this  section  was  not  only  characterized  by  the 
loss  of  Dr.  Stackhouse  and  a  keen  financial  struggle, 
but  also  'by  great  progress  in  the  matter  of  organization. 
The  system  now  in  vogue  among  Baptists  in  Western 
Canada  is  t>y  no  means  of  sudden  development,  'but 
it  is  the  result  of  patient  and  persistent  effort  to  secure 
those  agencies  which  will  best  provide  for  the  carrying 
forward  of  all  phases  of  the  work  in  so  large  an  area. 
The  various  steps  and  retracings  need  not  be  detailed, 
but  the  organizations  as  they  now  stand  are  deserving 
of  careful  consideration.  In  the  Baptist  organizations 
in  Western  Canada  the  basal  principle  is  laid  in  the 
assertion  of  the  right  of  the  individual  to  freedom  of 
thought  and  religious  activity.  In  1875,  seven  men 
and  women  in  Winnipeg  found  themselves  sufficiently 
akin  in  spirit  and  religious  ideals  to  band  themselves 
into  a  church.  In  so  doing,  each  agreed  to  that  cur 
tailing  of  independent  action  which  would  make  pos 
sible  a  strong  co-operation  in  service.  Through  their 
fellowship  in  service  they  sought  two  distinct  lines  of 
achievement  — their  own  spiritual  culture  and  the 

17 


258         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

winning  of  others  to  an  acceptance  of  their  ideals. 
To  this  end  they  organized  as  a  church,  with  pastor 
and  deacons  to  lead  in  the  common  endeavors.  In  the 
extension  of  their  sphere  of  influence  the  time  came 
when,  other  local  churches  having  in  a  similar  manner 
come  into  existence,  they  'began  to  consider  that  an 
organization  which  would  gather  up  the  energies  of 
all  trie  churches  could  more  effectively  carry  forward 
certain  phases  of  the  extension  work  devolving  upon 
them.  Then  was  organized  the  Convention.  The  unit 
in  church  organization  is  the  individual,  but  in  the 
Convention  it  is  the  church.  This  Convention  is  simply 
an  agency  created  by  the  churches  for  a  more  efficient 
service  in  certain  lines  of  work  for  which  the  ehurches 
hold  themselves  responsible.  The  business  meeting 
of  the  church  is  constituted  by  a  quorum  representing 
its  members.  The  business  meeting  of  the  Convention 
is  constituted  by  delegates  appointed  by  the  churches 
holding  membership  in  the  Convention.  The  Conven 
tion  appoints  a  Superintendent  and  Board  of  Missions 
to  lead  in  those  particular  activities  transferred  to  it  by 
the  churches. 

(3)  Conventions.      In  process  of  time  Conventions 
multiplied  also,  and  in  Western  Canada  there  are  to-day 
four  Conventions  recognizing  Provincial  lines.    These 
are  the  Baptist  Conventions  of  Manitoba,  Saskatche 
wan,  Alberta  and  British  Columbia.     There  are  also 
Conventions   defined  by  nationality.     These   are  the 
German,    the    Scandinavian,    and    the    Russian    and 
Galician  Conventions. 

(4)  The  Baptist  Union.  Principles.  These  operating 
in  different  spheres  yet  feel  that  there  is  much  they 
may  well  do  in  common,  and  that  through  one  central 


WESTERN    CANADA  259 

organization  they  can  carry  on  more  thoroughly  and 
effectively  certain  features  of  their  denominational 
work.  The  Conventions  retain  control  of  those  phases 
of  the  work  that  are  distinctly  Provincial.  To  the 
Baptist  Union  "of  Western  Canada  they  commit  the 
carrying  forward  of  such  enterprises  as  can  be  more 
cheaply  and  efficiently  administered  through  a  central 
agency  which  gathers  up  into  itself  the  strength  of  all. 
The  business  meeting  of  the  Union  is  constituted  by 
representatives  appointed  'by  the  respective  Conven 
tions,  for  the  unit  in  the  organization  of  the  Union  is 
the  Convention.  To  provide  for  the  leadership  of  the 
work  a  General  Secretary  and  an  Executive  Board  are 
appointed  to  direct  those  phases  of  the  denominational 
work  which  have  been  handed  on  from  the  Conventions 
to  the  Union.  The  simplicity  and  the  harmony  of  the 
Baptist  organizations  of  the  West  are  therefore  pre 
served  throughout.  No  system  could  be  more  mobile 
in  its  operation  or  more  thoroughly  democratic  in  its 
basis.  The  tasks  assumed  by  the  Baptist  Union  are 
not  created  by  it.  These  were  recognized  by  the 
churches  before  there  were  Conventions  and  the  sense 
of  the  obligation  was  found  in  the  individual  soul 
before  the  organization  of  the  first  local  church.  Thus 
all  these  organizations  are  simply  agencies  adapted  to 
the  requirements  of  the  work  and  of  the  territory 
occupied.  These  organizations  therefore  came  into 
existence  because  of  the  demand  of  the  individual 
Baptist  conscience.  The  forms  which  the  organiza 
tions  take  are  determined  on  the  one  hand  by  the 
democracy  of  Baptist  thought,  and  on  the  other  hand 
by  the  tasks  which  must  be  undertaken. 

Objects  of  the  Union.     In  article  3  of  the  Constitu 
tion  of    the  Baptist  Union  of  Western  Canada,   the 


26o         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

objects  of  the  Union  are  stated  as  follows: — "The 
objects  of  this  Union  shall 'be  the  promotion  and  admin 
istration  of  such  work  and  enterprises  as  are  deemed 
in  the  interests  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Western 
Canada,  and  especially  all  those  phases  of  the  work  of 
the  body  in  the  direction  of  which  the  Provincial 
Conventions  are  all  equally  interested." 

Officers  of  the  Union.  In  keeping  with  the  form 
of  organization  as  above  outlined,  Rev.  D.  B.  Harkness 
is  the  present  General  Secretary,  having  held  this 
office  since  the  resignation  of  Dr.  W.  T.  Stackhouse. 
During  the  period,  from  July  1909  to  March  1911,  the 
office  of  Associate  General  Secretary  was  held  by  Rev. 
C.  W.  Jackson,  formerly  pastor  of  First  Baptist 
Church,  Brandon.  During  this  time,  and  particularly 
during  the  long  illness  of  the  General  Secretary  in 
1910,  Mr.  Jackson  rendered  devoted  and  valuable  ser 
vice  in  the  'direction  of  the  work  of  the  Union.  This 
was,  moreover,  during  that  most  trying  period  when 
the  financial  conditions  were  unenviable  and  the  neces 
sary  adjustments  of  the  new  forms  of  organization 
were  being  made.  In  March,  1911,  Mr.  Jackson 
resigned  to  re-enter  the  pastorate.  The  Field  Superin 
tendent  for  British  Columbia  is  Rev.  H.  G.  Estabrook, 
a  graduate  of  Acadia  University,  and  for  some  years 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Summerland,  British 
Columbia,  where  he  was  closely  identified  with  the 
founding  of  Okanagan  College.  Mr.  Estabrook  suc 
ceeded  Rev.  D.  E.  Hatt  in  the  Fall  of  1909.  In  Alberta 
the  office  of  Field  Superintendent  is  held  by  Rev.  C.  C. 
McLaurin,  who  has  been  so  long  associated  with  the 
Baptist  work  of  Western  Canada,  and  has  a  noble  and 
enviable  record  of  service.  The  Superintendency  of 
Rev.  T.  M.  Marshall  includes  the  Provinces  of  Mani- 


WESTERN    CANADA  261 

tooa  and  Saskatchewan.  Mr.  Marshall  is  a  truly  West 
ern  man,  being  a  graduate  of  Manitoba  University,  and 
having  had  many  years  of  service  as  a  pastor  in 
churches  of  the  Provinces  which  he  now  serves  in  the 
wider  office.  Rev.  J.  P.  Sundstrom,  in  January,  1911, 
succeeded  Rev.  F.  Palmborg  as  Superintendent  of 
Scandinavian  Baptist  Missions  in  Western  Canada, 
having  come  to  Canada  from  the  United  States.  After 
being  vacant  for  more  than  a  year  following  the  resig 
nation  of  Rev.  Wm.  Schunke,  the  office  of  Superin 
tendent  of  German  Baptist  Missions  has  been  filled  by 
the  appointment  of  Rev.  F.  A.  Bloedow,  a  graduate  of 
Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  who  has  been  for 
several  years  pastor  of  the  German  Baptist  Church 
at  Yorkton,  Saskatchewan,  and  Secretary  of  the  Com 
mittee  on  German  Baptist  Missions.  Each  of  the  above 
mentioned  Superintendents  is  thus  the  Executive 
officer  of  the  Convention  with  which  his  name  is 
associated.  In  the  case  of  Mr.  Marshall,  he  is  Superin 
tendent  at  the  present  time  of  -two  Conventions. 
Similarly  the  General  Secretary  is  the  Executive  officer 
of  the  Baptist  Union  of  Western  Canada,  through 
whose  office  are  co-ordinated  the  various  lines  of 
denominational  activity  in  which  the  Conventions  have 
common  interest.  The  Union  have  also  appointed  an 
Educational  Secretary,  who  works  in  conjunction  with 
the  Board  of  Education,  whose  sphere  is  described  in 
Chapter  IX.  At  the  time  of  the  meeting  of  the 
Baptist  Union,  held  in  Winnipeg,  November,  1910,  Rev. 
J.  C.  Bowen  was  appointed  to  this  very  important 
office.  Under  his  leadership  splendid  progress  is 
already  being  shown,  in  the  shaping  of  educational 
policies  which  will  give  symmetry  to  this  department 
of  Baptist  'work  throughout  the  West. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

SPECIAL  FEATURES. 

i.  BAPTIST  WOMEN   OF  WESTERN   CANADA. 

(1)  Organization.  From  the  beginning  of  Baptist 
work  in  Western  Canada,  the  Baptist  women  have 
been  prominent  in  all  its  progress.  As  the  work  grew 
and  the  opportunities  multiplied  it  was  inevitable  that 
they  should  seek  those  spheres  of  service  in  which  they 
could  labor  most  efficiently.  As  a  result  there  came 
quietly  into  existence  here  and  there  the  Baptist 
Mission  Circles  which  sought  to  supplement  the  more 
general  work  of  the  churches.  The  records  of  the 
Mission  Circle  of  First  Baptist  Church,  Winnipeg,  go 
back  as  far  as  1883,  -Where  there  is  reported  a  gift  of 
$40.00  toward  one  mission.  In  1885,  the  few  Circles 
then  in  existence  contributed  to  the  general  treasury 
$237.95  for  Home  Mission  work.  In  1887  the  Baptist 
Women's  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of 
Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  was  organized.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  following  year,  four  Mission  Circles 
reported. 

(2)  Activities.  As  the  energies  of  the  general  Con 
vention  were  heavily  taxed  by  the  general  Home  Mis 
sion  problems,  the.  Women's  Society  became  the  pioneer 
in  many  of  the  allied  activities  for  which  the  denomina 
tion  is  now  responsible.  The  first  service  undertaken 

262 


WESTERN    CANADA  263 

by  them  as  a  distinct  task  was  that  of  providing  aid 
in  the  building  of  mission  churches,  and  for  some  years 
they  rendered  the  chief  assistance  given  to  this  Church 
Edifice  work.  Shortly  after  the  organization  of  the 
Society,  the  appeal  of  the  German  communities  in 
Manitoba  found  a  response,  and  $200  was  granted 
toward  the  salary  of  the  first  German  missionary. 
The  same  year  $80.00  was  contributed  toward  the 
Foreign  Mission  work  carried  on  by  the  Ontario  and 
Quebec  Board  in  India.  In  the  Convention  year,  1888- 
1889,  the  grants  toward  the  German  Mission  work  and 
Foreign  Missions  were  continued,  while  increased 
grants  were  made  toward  the  Church  Edifice  Fund. 
In  1888  the  claims  of  the  Indian  settlements  of  Mani 
toba  began  to  press  themselves  upon  the  minds  of  the 
women,  and  as  a  result  the  Society  shortly  afterward 
became  responsible  for  opening  mission  work  among 
the  Indians,  when  Miss  Phoebe  Parsons,  now  Mrs. 
H.  C.  Howard,  of  Winnipeg,  was  appointed  the  first 
missionary.  In  the  year  1891  the  work  took  on  a  new 
form,  w'hen  Mr.  William  Henry  Prince,  son  of  an 
Indian  Chief,  was  ordained  Missionary,  and  appointed 
to  St.  Peter's  and  Little  Saskatchewan  Indian  Re 
serves.  A  chapel  was  provided  on  the  former  Reserve, 
and  the  work  strongly  supported.  The  interest  in  this 
work  has  remained  unabated  through  the  years.  In 
this  same  year,  in  order  that  the  Women's  Society 
might  give  larger  attention  to  the  Church  Edifice  work, 
the  General  Board  of  the  Convention  became  respon 
sible  for  the  support  of  the  German  Missionaries 
already  on  the  field.  For  a  number  of  years  following, 
the  Women's  Society  made  the  assisting  of  churches 
in  the  erection  of  buildings  their  chief  object,  and 


264         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

during  this  period  made  grants  to  Hartney,  Winnipeg 
(German),  Regina,  Medicine  Hat,  Rosemount,  Boiss- 
evain,  Melita,  Carman,  Moosomin,  Morden,  Neepawa, 
Griswold,  Edmonton,  and  Shoal  Lake. 

From  the  time  of  the  first  organization  of  Mission 
Circles,  the  women  had  been  deeply  interested  in  the 
Foreign  Mission  work,  and  individual  Circles  had  sent 
contributions  to  India.  In  1890  Miss  Booker  offered 
her  services.  Several  large  contributions  were  given 
for  her  support,  and  thus  was  opened  up  the  larger 
undertakings  of  the  Women's  Society  on  the  Foreign 
Mission  field.  This  was  for  a  number  of  years  the 
only  channel  through  which  Foreign  Mission  work  was 
supported  by  the  Western  churches.  All  appeals  for 
this  purpose  were  issued  by  the  Women's  Society. 
The  work  of  Grande-Ligne  Mission  was  also  presented 
through  the  Women's  Society,  and  collections  made 
in  its  interest. 

With  the  formation  of  an  Edifice  Board  of  the 
General  Convention,  in  1894,  the  women  again  put 
more  emphasis  upon  the  Non-English  departments. 
They  had  hoped,  in  conjunction  with  the  Women's 
Society  of  Ontario,  to  undertake  work  for  the  Ice 
landers,  but  failing  to  find  a  suitable  Missionary,  they 
turned  their  attention  to  the  Scandinavian  people. 
This  department  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
encouraging  to  which  they  gave  their  sympathies. 
For  a  number  of  years  the  Scandinavian  missionaries 
were  directly  under  the  supervision  of  the  Women's 
Society.  Fields  were  opened  by  them  in  Scandinavia, 
Manitoba,  Rat  Portage,  Ontario,  and  at  a  number  of 
points  in  the  vicinity  of  Wetaskiwin,  Alberta.  After 
some  years  the  Society,  recognizing  the  need  of  field 


WESTERN   CANADA  265 

visitation,  placed  the  supervision  of  this  department 
under  the  General  Board  of  the  Convention,  but  con 
tinued  their  support  toward  it  as  strongly  as  ever.  In 
the  latter  part  of  1898  another  department  of  Non- 
English  work  was  opened  up  by  the  Women's  Society, 
when  Rev.  George  Burgdorff  was  appointed  mission 
ary  to  the  Russian  and  Ruthenian  peoples.  This  work 
was  carried  on  under  the  supervision  of  the  Women's 
Board  for  one  year  only,  when  it  also  was  transferred 
to  the  care  of  the  General  Board,  while  the  Women's 
Society  continued  their  contribution  toward  its  support. 

In  addition  to  these  various  activities,  they  found 
time  also  to  devote  to  the  interests  of  the  denomina 
tional  paper.  For  a  number  of  years  they  contri 
buted  towards  its  support  and  held  themselves  respon 
sible  for  the  business  management  of  it. 

(3)  Transfer  of  Administration  Work.  In  what 
has  been  said  respecting  the  work  of  the  Women's 
Society  in  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  it  has  been 
indicated  that  in  the  early  years  of  its  activity  large 
responsibilities  in  the  way  of  administration  devolved 
upon  the  Board.  Little  by  little  it  became  evident  that 
in  order  to  properly  supervise  the  various  missionary 
interests  it  was  necessary  to  have  the  services  of  a 
travelling  Superintendent.  In  view  of  this  the  adminis 
trative  phases  of  the  work  were  from  time  to  time 
transferred  to  the  General  Board  until  in  1906  the 
only  point  at  which  the  Women's  Society  retained 
administrative  power  was  in  respect  to  the  Indian 
work,  which  continued  in  part  under  their  control. 
At  the  Convention  meeting  of  this  year,  however,  the 
Society  decided  to  leave  all  detail  administration  in 
the  hands  of  the  General  Board  and  the  Executive 


266         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

officers  of  the  Convention,  while  the  Women's  Society 
and  the  Mission  Circles  would  confine  themselves  to 
the  functions  of  inspirational,  knowledge-spreading, 
and  money-raising  organizations.  During  the  recent 
years,  therefore,  the  Society  has  become  responsible  to 
the  General  Convention  for  definite  appropriations 
toward  the  various  branches  of  the  Non-English  work. 

(4)  Leaders.      It  is  not  possible  in  a  record  .such  as 
this  chapter  contains  to  give  the  names  of  the  many 
devoted  Baptist  women  who  have  given  of  their  time 
and  thought  to  the  furtherance  of  the  mission  work 
of    this    country.      Mrs.    Alexander    McDonald    has 
already  been  named.     In  addition  to  her,  two  ladies 
have  been  for  many  years  leaders  in  the  executive  work 
of    the    Society.      These    are    Mrs.    C.    W.    Clark, 
Treasurer  of  the  Society,  and  Mrs.  J.  F.  Mclntyre, 
for   a   long  period   Corresponding   Secretary   of   the 
Society.    Both  of  these  ladies  are  prominent  members 
of  First  Church,  Winnipeg. 

(5)  In  British  Columbia  and  Saskatchewan.    What 
has  been  said  in  the  preceding  paragraphs  of  this  sec 
tion  in  respect  to  the  work  of  the  Women's  Mission 
Circles  in  Manitoba  and  the  northwest  will  apply  in 
large  part  to  those  of  British  Columbia  also.     In  the 
Coast    Province    the    form    of    central    organization 
adopted  by  the  Circles  was  different  from  that  which 
has  been  discussed,  but  the  aims  and  achievements 
were  very  much  the  same.     The   Circles   in  British 
Columbia  were  from  the  beginning  leaders  in  the  sup 
port  of  Foreign  Mission  work,  but  also  contributed 
regularly  and  generously  toward  the  Home  Mission 
work  in  the  Province.    In  the  general  councils  of  the 
Convention,  the  women  of  the  churches  and  of  the 


WESTERN    CANADA  267 

Circles  took  a  very  prominent  part.  The  form  of 
their  organization  contributed  to  this,  for  instead  of 
having  a  distinct  Society  representing  the  work  of  the 
Circles  they  had  as  the  unifying  agency  for  the  direc 
tion  of  Women's  work  in  the  Province  a  Board  allied 
with  the  General  Convention.  This  form  of  organiza 
tion  they  still  retain  and  the  women  of  Saskatchewan 
have  adopted  this  as  the  form  of  organization  best 
fitted  for  their  great  Province.  The  determining  factor 
in  the  choice  in  both  of  these  Provinces  was  doubtless 
the  great  distances  separating  the  Circles  and  the  diffi 
culty  of  securing  adequate  representation  by  any  other 
means.  In  favor  of  this  form  of  organization  it  may  be 
stated  that  in  the  Province  of  British  Columbia  it  has 
abundantly  justified  itself  by  the  influential  place  in  the 
denomination's  life  which  has  been  held  by  the  Mission 
Circles  and  their  Central  Board. 

(6)  Leaders    in  British   Columbia.      Among    the 
names  of  the  women  who  have  been  prominent  in  the 
Baptist  work  of  this  Province  none  stand  higher  than 
those  of  Mrs.  W.  H.  Spofford,  of  Victoria,  and  Mrs. 
A.   E.   Postill,   of    New    Westminster.     The   former 
belongs  to  the  family  in  whose  home  the  beginnings  of 
Baptist  work  in  British  Columbia  were  made.     Asso 
ciated  with  these  names  is  that  of  Miss  Bella  Gross, 
well  known  as  the  efficient  treasurer  of  the  Women's 
Board. 

(7)  Influence.      Beyond  all  that  has  been  written,  it 
would  be  impossible  to  outline  the  vast  amount  of  ser 
vice  these  Mission  Circles  have  rendered  in  awakening 
interest  in  all  phases  of  missionary  endeavor.     Every 
Mission  Circle  has  been  a  centre  of  information  and 


268         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

of  enthusiasm.  The  missionary  spirit  of  many  a 
church  is  largely  traceable  to  the  influence  exerted 
by  the  Mission  Circle  upon  its  membership.  This  is, 
perhaps,  likely  to  be  the  case  in  a  new  country  such  as 
Western  Canada,  rather  more  than  in  the  older  and 
more  settled  communities.  No  agencies,  aside  from 
the  churches  themselves,  have  contributed  so  greatly 
to  the  success  and  devout  spirit  of  the  Baptist  work  in 
Western  Canada  as  have  these  little  groups  of  women, 
scattered  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  these 
Provinces,  in  the  eighty-eight  Mission  Circles  now  in 
existence. 

(8)  Changes  in  Organization.  Changes  wrought 
in  the  organization  of  the  general  work  have  had  their 
effect  upon  the  Women's  Society  also.  There  is  now 
an  organization  in  each  Province.  In  Manitoba  and 
Alberta  there  are  Conventions  representing  the  Mis 
sion  Circles.  In  British  Columbia  and  Saskatchewan 
the  central  Provincial  agency  is  a  Board  of  Women's 
Work  associated  with  the  general  Provincial  Conven 
tion.  Heretofore  the  representation  to  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Society  came  direct  from  the  Mission 
Circles.  At  the  last  annual  meeting,  however,  the  fol 
lowing  basis  of  representation  was  decided  upon: 
"  Each  Provincial  organization  of  Women's  Mission 
Circles  shall  have  the  right  to  send  to  the  annual  meet 
ing  of  this  Society  one  delegate  for  every  one  hundred 
or  major  fraction  of  one  hundred  members  on  the 
rolls  of  Mission  Circles  in  the  Province."  The  annual 
meeting  of  the  Society  is  held  each  year  at  the  time  of 
the  meeting  of  The  Baptist  Union  of  Western  Canada. 
The  Baptist  women  of  the  West  are  therefore  strongly 
organized  for  the  tasks  that  devolve  upon  them,  and 


OKANAGAN  COLLEGE. 


THE  FIRST  GALICIAN  CHURCH. 


WESTERN   CANADA  269 

may  'be  expected  to  continue  the  splendid  record  of 
service  and  contribute  yet  more  strongly  to  the  devel 
opment  of  the  religious  life  of  the  Canadian  West. 

2.     NON-ENGUSH  WORK. 

One  of  the  greatest  problems  of  Western  Missions 
has  been  the  caring  for  the  incoming  non-English 
peoples.  The  city  of  Winnipeg  alone  is  said  to  have 
within  its  (bounds  people  who  speak  sixty-three  dif 
ferent  languages.  The  same  is  true  of  the  country 
at  large.  Settlements  are  founded  that  are  made  up 
exclusively  of  people  of  foreign  birth,  while  all  the 
larger  places  have  a  goodly  proportion  of  the  non- 
English  tongues. 

(1)  German.  The  first  .attempt  of  Western  Bap 
tists  in  looking  after  these  people  was  made  by  the 
Women's  Society.  One  of  their  first  appropriations 
was  $200  a  year  toward  the  salary  of  Rev.  F.  A. 
Petereit,  the  first  German  missionary  in  Manitoba. 
This  was  in  1887.  This  work  among  the  German 
people  was  undertaken  in  conjunction  with  the  General 
Missionary  Society  of  the  German  Baptist  Churches 
of  America,  who  have  ever  since  co-operated  with 
the  Baptists  of  the  West  in  furthering  the  interest  of 
our  churches  among  the  Germans.  This  Society  is 
composed  of  all  the  German  Baptist  churches  on  the 
continent,  irrespective  of  the  international  boundary, 
and  'works  in  co-operation  with  the  American  Baptist 
Home  Mission  Society  in  the  same  way  as  the  work 
is  done  in  Canada. 

Churches.  The  first  German  church  to  be  organized 
in  Western  Canada  was  at  Edenwald  in  1886.  Rev. 


270         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

C.  Poehlman,  who  is  still  doing  missionary  work  in 
the  West,  was  the  first  pastor,  and  Rev.  R.  Fenske, 
still  in  active  service,  his  successor.  In  1889  the  First 
German  Baptist  Church  of  Winnipeg  was  organized, 
and  has  ever  since  been  a  great  distributing  centre, 
sending  out  German  families  all  over  the  West.  A 
small  building  was  erected  but  soon  outgrown.  In 
1908  the  present  building  was  dedicated  free  of  debt 
and  is  a  great  credit  to  the  congregation  worshipping 
there.  From  Winnipeg  the  work  spread  rapidly  over 
all  the  country.  Churches  were  organized  in  Sas 
katchewan  and  Alberta,  until  at  the  present  time  they 
number  twenty-four,  twelve  of  which  are  self-sup 
porting.  German  Baptist  work  is  carried  on  in  con 
nection  with  these  churches  in  fifty-six  different 
localities  The  membership  is  approximately  two  thou 
sand.  There  are  fourteen  ordained  ministers  on  the 
field,  while  some  of  the  vacant  pulpits  are  soon  to  be 
filled.  The  church  properties  held  by  these  German 
churches  are  valued  at  $76,625.00.  As  yet  there  is 
no  German  work  undertaken  in  British  Columbia. 
From  1887  to  1890  the  Women's  Board  cared  for  this 
department  exclusively,  the  missionaries  reporting 
directly  to  them.  From  1890  to  the  present,  the  work 
has  ibeen  under  the  administration  of  the  General 
Board  of  the  Convention,  in  conjunction  with  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  German  Baptist  Confer 
ence  of  Western  Canada. 

General  Missionary.  Rev.  Wm.  Schunke,  for  a 
number  of  years  pastor  of  the  First  German  Church, 
Winnipeg,  as  the  General  Missionary,  did  a  large  work 
in  organizing  churches  throughout  the  Provinces  of 
Saskatchewan  and  Alberta,  and  conducting  evangel- 


WESTERN   CANADA  2?I 

istic  services  over  the  whole  territory.  As  elsewhere 
stated,  his  successor  is  Rev.  F.  A.  Bloedow,  who  by 
training  and  temperament,  is  splendidly  fitted  to  take 
up  the  arduous  tasks  of  this  service. 

Quality.  The  majority  of  the  Germans  who  com 
pose  the  membership  of  these  Western  Churches  are 
from  Provinces  of  the  German  Empire,  bordering  on 
Russia,  or  from  Russia  itself.  As  many  of  them  live 
on  homesteads,  they  are  not  yet  sufficiently  estab 
lished  to  give  largely  in  support  of  their  church  work 
With  increasing  prosperity  these  German  churches  will 
become  more  and  more  nearly  self-supporting  and  will 
give  themselves  more  largely  to  the  work  of  education 
and  evangelization. 

Lack  of  Ministers.  One  great  difficulty  in  carrying 
on  the  work  is  the  impossibility,  through  the  lack  of 
ordained  ministers,  of  supplying  all  the  churches.  It 
is  thought  that  only  through  an  educational  institution 
established  in  the  West  can  this  need  be  met.  Plans 
are  under  way  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  end. 
Some  of  the  most  evangelical  pastors  in  all  the  West 
ern,  territory  are  found  in  the  German  churches,  where 
constant  revival  services  are  held  throughout  the 
winter  months.  No  work  of  greater  national  value 
can  be  performed  than  the  evangelization  of  the  Ger 
man  people  of  this  great  West. 

(2)  Indian  Work.  The  next  department  of  non- 
English  work  to  be  undertaken  was  that  among  the 
Indians,  which  was  begun  in  real  earnest  in  1891. 
Visits  had  been  made  to  the  Reserves,  and  a  lady  mis 
sionary  had  been  appointed  to  undertake  some  work, 
but  the  difficulty  of  language  was  almost  insuperable, 
and  evangelistic  work  would  ibe  useless  without  the 


272         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

free  use  of  the  Indian  tongue.  In  1891  Mr.  W.  H. 
Prince  presented  himself  without  solicitation  for  bap 
tism  and  membership  in  a  Baptist  church.  After  due 
examination  Mr.  Prince  was  ordained  and  given 
charge  of  the  work  at  St.  Peter's  and  the  Reserves 
to  the  North.  He  made  numerous  trips  with  trains 
of  dogs  among  the  people  of  the  Northern  Reserves, 
preaching  and  holding  evangelistic  services  at  many 
posts.  His  efforts  met  with  considerable  acceptance 
among  his  people,  and  the  conversion  of  many  who 
have  since  proved  their  faithfulness  gives  evidence  of 
the  sincerity  of  purpose  of  the  evangelist.  His  work 
was  supplemented  by  white  missionaries  on  the  Re 
serves  near  Portage  la  Prairie,  and  as  far  north  as 
Fairford,  on  Lake  Manitoba.  The  work  at  St.  Peter's 
was  superintended  for  a  time  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  B. 
Davis,  and  later  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  R.  W.  Sharpe, 
who  were  succeeded  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  G.  Mellick, 
and  now  the  'work  is  in  charge  of  Rev.  F.  C.  Every, 
who,  with  his  sister,  is  doing  effective  service  under 
the  changed  conditions  on  this  Reserve.  Two  years 
ago  the  Reserve  at  St.  Peter's  was  broken  up  and  the 
people  given  an  opportunity  to  sell  or  move  to  the 
Fisher  River  Reserve  farther  north.  Quite  a  number 
of  the  faithful  members  of  St.  Peter's  Church  have 
moved  to  Fisher  River,  and  a  number  of  white  people 
moving  into  St.  Peter's  have  changed  somewhat  the 
character  of  the  work  at  this  station. 

Rev.  J.  S.  Clark,  M.D.,  offered  his  services  for  work 
among  the  Indians  in  1903.  Dr.  Clark  was  familiar 
with  Indian  traditions  and  the  Indian  language, 
through  his  work  for  the  Government  in  completing 
the  Mic-Mac  Dictionary  begun  by  Dr.  S.  T.  Rand. 


WESTERN    CANADA  273 

At  the  time  of  his  first  offer  of  service,  Dr.  Clark  had 
only  begun  his  medical  course.  This  he  completed  at 
his  own  expense,  getting  his  diploma  in  1909,  and  in 
the  same  year  he  took  up  his  permanent  residence  at 
Fairford.  He  is  preparing  to  erect  a  hospital  at  his 
own  charges,  to  facilitate  the  medical  work  of  the 
Mission.  The  influence  of  the  self-sacrificing  lives  of 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  among  these  simple  people  must 
be  incalculable,  and,  while  the  lifting  of  the  Indian 
peoples  to  a  high  plane  of  spiritual  thought  is  a  slow 
process,  the  patience  of  these  devoted  workers  has 
already  had  a  large  reward. 

(3)  Scandinavian.  Evangelistic.  As  in  the  other 
non-English  departments,  the  women  were  the  pioneers 
in  Scandinavian  work.  In  1894,  when  Rev.  Martin 
Bergh  was  invited  to  hold  evangelistic  services  in  Win 
nipeg  among  his  people,  he  was  about  to  leave  the  city, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  funds  had  failed.  Having  told 
his  audience  his  intentions,  and  having  given  them  the 
reason,  a  number  of  the  devoted  women  present  gath 
ered  amongst  themselves  a  sufficient  sum  to  defray 
his  expenses  for  another  month.  Mr.  Bergh  remained, 
and  during  this  month  so  many  were  converted  that 
a  Scandinavian  church  was  organized  and  his  services 
retained  as  pastor.  He  continued  in  the  work  during 
the  rest  of  the  year,  caring  for  the  interest  in  Winnipeg 
and  reaching  out  among  the  Scandinavian  settlements 
as  far  east  as  Rat  Portage  (Kenora)  and  as  far  west 
as  the  Calgary  and  Edmonton  districts.  He  was  suc 
ceeded  by  a  student,  Mr.  N.  E.  Johnson,  who  was 
able  to  care  for  the  church  in  Winnipeg  until  the 
appointment  of  Rev.  L.  M.  Stolberg,  who  took  up  the 
work  of  the  Winnipeg  church  and  exercised  a  general 
18 


274         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

supervision  of  the  country  at  large.  The  cost  of  his 
support  was  shared  equally  by  the  Women's  Society 
and  by  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 
In  1895  a  suitable  site  was  selected  in  Winnipeg,  for 
a  Scandinavian  Baptist  church,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000. 
On  this  lot  the  Alexander  Grant  Memorial  Scandin 
avian  Church  was  afterwards  built  by  money  con 
tributed  in  Ontario.  During  this  year  two  new  Scan 
dinavian  missionaries  were  added  to  the  work  in  the 
country.  In  1898  Rev.  N.  J.  L.  Bergen,  now  Mis 
sionary  Evangelist  in  Alberta,  came  to  take  charge  of 
the  church  at  Scandinavia,  Manitoba. 

Educational.  In  addition  to  the  general  Mission 
work  throughout  the  West,  the  Board  of  the  Conven 
tion  has  been  instrumental  in  opening,  in  connection 
with  Brandon  College,  a  Swedish  department.  This 
undertaking  was  thought  to  -be  one  of  the  best  methods 
of  service  for  the  Scandinavian  people  of  the  West. 
Here  several  of  the  best  young  people  of  the  churches 
are  brought  under  the  influences  of  Christian  educa 
tion.  A  numiber  of  young  men  are  being  trained  for 
the  ministry  of  the  Scandinavian  Baptist  churches. 
The  opening  year  of  this  department  proved  the  wis 
dom  of  the  enterprise.  The  number  of  students 
enrolled  has  not  been  less  than  eighteen  for  any  one 
year,  and  has  exceeded  that  number.  Many  of  these 
young  people  take  the  English  course  as  well  as  the 
course  provided  in  Swedish  literature.  One  effect  of 
this  work  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  Swedish  lan 
guage  has  been  added  as  an  option  to  the  curriculum 
of  Manitoba  University.  Those  who  are  studying  for 
the  ministry  receive  special  Bible  instruction  in  their 
own  language  from  Professor  Emil  Lundkvist,  who 


WESTERN   CANADA  2;5 

chair  in  the  Swedish  -««- 

Progress.     There  are  at  present    twenty    Swedish 
churches  in  Western  Canada,  with  a  membership  of 
540,  while  there  are  estimated  to  be  8s  ooo  ScanHin! 
avians  in  Western  Canada.     The  work'C  has  btn" 
accomplished   m   the  seventeen  years  since  the  first 

M°    li°    ?eV'      anm  Bergh  in  Wi™peg  seems  con 
siderable,  but  the  fields  yet  untouched  are  numerous 
More  than  twenty  thousand  Scandinavian  people  are 
settled    in    Saskatchewan,    and    only    three    Baptist 
churches   have   as   yet   been   organized   among   them. 
The  Swedish  Baptist  General  Conference  of  America 
grants  $200.00  per  month  toward  the  work     Includ 
ing  this   amount,   The    Baptist    Union    of    Western 
Canada  has  agreed  to  spend  $6,500  on  these  fields  this 
year.     Already  the  applications  made  by  the  various 
fields  call  for  more  funds  than  have  been  provided 
and  the  needs  of  the  work  are  great  indeed.     To  evan 
gelize  a  people  of  strong  characteristics,  such  as  the 
Scandinavians,  will  tell  not  only  on  the  religious  his 
tory  of  the  nation,  'but  also  on  its  political  welfare. 
Many  from  among  the  eighty-five  thousand  Scandin 
avians  in  Western  Canada  will,  in  the  days  to  come, 
be  the  chosen  rulers  of  the  nation.     The  attitude  of 
these  men  in  the  future,  on  the  great  social  problems 
confronting  them,  will  largely  depend  upon  the  min 
istry  of  these  Scandinavian  Baptist  churches  of  West 
ern  Canada. 

(4)  Icelandic  Work.  This  work  was  considered 
for  some  time  iby  the  Women's  Society  of  the  West, 
and  the  Women's  Home  Mission  Society  of  Ontario 
and  Quebec  made  an  appropriation  toward  it. 


276         THE    BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

Owing  to  the  inability  to  find  a  suitable  mission 
ary  this  grant  was  transferred  to  the  work  among 
the  Scandinavians,  with  the  consent  of  the  Ontario 
Board.  A  Mission  among  the  Icelandic  people  was 
opened  in  Winnipeg  in  1896,  and  for  several  years 
considerable  success  attended  the  evangelistic  efforts 
thus  made,  although  the  work  was  done  almost  wholly 
in  the  English  language. 

The  Icelanders,  having  become  largely  Canadian- 
ized,  and  the  second  generation  falling  readily  into  the 
use  of  English,  the  necessity  of  services  conducted  in 
Icelandic  has  largely  passed  away.  Most  of  the  Ice 
landic  people  who  were  connected  with  this  early 
mission  are  now  identified  with  English  churches. 
This  will  not  be  the  case  with  the  other  non-English 
peoples  who  are  here  in  larger  numbers,  which  are 
being  continuously  augmented  by  immigration.  In  these 
cases  the  national  consciousness  is  thus  kept  alive  and 
the  mother-tongue  kept  fresh  on  the  lips  of  these  new 
Canadians. 

(5)  Russian  and  Ruthenian.  Mr.  Burgdorff.  In 
1898  work  was  begun  among  the  Galician  people,  or, 
as  they  prefer  to  be  called,  the  Ruthenians.  Mr. 
Burgdorff,  who  had  come  from  Russia,  and  had  been 
engaged  by  the  Convention  Board  to  work  among  the 
German  Mennonites  in  Southern  Manitoba,  was  called 
later  to  work  among  the  Ruthenians.  He  visited  the 
colonies  at  Stuartburn,  near  Emerson,  which  then 
numbered  nearly  two  thousand,  and  afterward  labored 
at  Dauphin,  where  he  was  able  to  reach  four  thousand 
Ruthenians.  He  also  opened  up  work  at  Selkirk, 
where  his  message  was  received  with  great  apprecia 
tion  by  his  people. 


WESTERN   CANADA  277 

Sylvester  Muscho  and  Myketo  Kriewetski.  The 
second  'missionary  engaged  was  Sylvester  Muscho, 
who  had  suffered  great  persecution  in  the  Russian 
prisons,  and  came  to  this  country  as  a  refugee.  Mr. 
Burgdorff  operated  with  Dauphin  as  his  centre,  and 
Mr.  Muscho  from  Stuartburn.  The  first  important 
convert  in  this  mission  was  Myketo  Kriewetzki,  who 
had  been  a  student  for  the  Greek  priesthood.  Mr. 
Kriewetzki  has  ever  since  his  conversion  been  preach 
ing  as  our  Missionary  and  has  proved  himself  a  most 
faithful  minister. 

Progress.  Thus  the  work  has  grown  among  the 
Ruthenian  people.  There  are  at  present  seven  Russian 
and  Ruthenian  churches,  with  six  missionaries,  in  our 
Convention  territory..  Rev.  M.  N.  Kriewetzki  acts  as 
pastor  at  large  in  Manitoba,  while  Rev.  Ivan  Shakotko, 
a  most  faithful  missionary,  covers  the  Province  of 
Saskatchewan.  The  other  missionaries  are  William 
Boobis,  John  Artemenko,  Tom  Tvardovski  and  Maxim 
Berezynski.  Statistics  will  hardly  measure  the  labors 
of  these  men.  They  are  speaking  constantly  to  their 
people,  whose  minds  are  open  to  receive  the  Gospel 
message,  and  the  seed  sown  does  not  always  come  to 
maturity  quickly  enough  to  be  reported  in  figures. 
The  missionaries  are  admitted  to  Greek  Orthodox 
and  even  Roman  Catholic  churches,  where  they  fear 
lessly  preach  an  evangelical  message.  They  are  often 
followed  to  their  homes  by  the  people,  and  there 
spend  long  hours  explaining  their  religious  concep 
tions.  They  are  thus  slowly  but  persistently  break 
ing  down  the  superstitious  and  narrow  prejudices 
which  have  been  transplanted  from  Russia  and  Rus 
sian-Austria  into  the  West. 


278         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 
3.    THE  CONFERENCES. 

(1)  German.        The  work  among  the  non-English 
peoples  has   for   the  most  part  been   carried   on   in 
co-operation   with   the   larger   bodies   of   these   same 
peoples  across  the  border  in  the  United  States.     The 
German  Baptist  General  Conference  of  all  America 
made  the  first  advances  in  work  among  their  people 
in  this  territory,  and  their   General   Secretary,  Rev. 
G.  A.  Schulte;  and  the  committees  of  the  Conference 
are  as   interested  in  the  prosperity  of  the  German- 
Canadian  churches  as  in  those  of  the  United  States. 
As  soon  as  there  were  sufficient  churches  organized,  a 
Conference  was   formed,  known  as  "  The  Northern 
German  Baptist  Conference,"  which  is  taking  its  place 
in  the  general  scheme  of  organization  of  the  larger 
body.     This   Conference  has   its  yearly   inspirational 
gathering,  and  its   Mission   Committee  which  passes 
upon  all  grants  to  be  made  to  the  German  churches 
in  the  same  way  that  the  Home  Mission  Board  of  each 
Convention  passes  upon  the  grants  for  the  Provinces. 

(2)  Scandinavian.     The  work  has  been  similarly 
organized    among    the    Scandinavian    peoples.     Their 
churches  are  divided  into  two  Conferences — one  for 
Alberta  and  another  comprising  the  churches  in  Sas 
katchewan  and  Manitoba.     The  Western  Conference 
is  known  as  "  The  Scandinavian  Baptist  Conference 
of  Alberta  "  and  the  Eastern  as  "  The  Scandinavian 
Baptist  Conference  of  Central  Canada."    The  machin 
ery  of  these  Conferences  is  much  the  same  as  that  of 
the  German  Conference.     They  are  integral  parts  of 
the  General  Conference  of  Swedish  Baptist  Churches 
of  America. 


WESTERN   CANADA 

Relation  to  Union  of  Western  Canada.  The  Ger 
man  Conference  and  the  Scandinavian  Conferences 
hold  much  the  same  relation  to  the  Baptist  Union  of 
Western  Canada  as  do  the  Provincial  Conventions 
and  send  representatives  with  full  power  to  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Union.  A  Superintendent  of  German 
Missions  and  a  Superintendent  of  Scandinavian  Mis 
sions  work  under  the  Baptist  Union  in  the  same  rela 
tions  to  these  Conferences  as  are  held  by  the  Field 
Superintendents  toward  the  Provincial  Conventions. 

(3)  Ruthenian  and  Russian.  Two  years  ago  the 
Ruthenian  and  Russian  Churches  united  to  form  a 
Russian  and  Ruthenian  Baptist  Conference,  which  will 
in  time  exert  a  good  influence  in  the  church  life  of 
these  the  newest  additions  to  the  Baptist  host  in  this 
country. 

4.    EDUCATIONAL  WORK. 

We  have  spoken  in  the  previous  chapter  of  the 
establishment  of  Brandon  College,  in  1899.  This  was 
really  the  first  attempt  at  the  establishment  of  an 
educational  institution  by  the  denomination  in  the 
West. 

We  have  also  noted  an  attempt  made  for  one  year 
to  gather  together  Baptist  ministerial  students  who 
were  in  attendance  at  Manitoba  University,  under  the 
care  of  a  teacher,  in  one  house.  The  beginnings  of 
history,  in  connection  with  Baptist  Educational  work 
in  the  West,  date,  however,  considerably  farther  back. 

(1)  Prairie  College.  Prairie  College,  which  was 
started  as  early  as  1880,  in  Rapid  City,  through  the 
efforts  of  the  late  Dr.  Crawford,  assisted  by  Professor 
G.  B.  Davis  and  others,  was  operated  for  three  years. 


280         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

Dr.  Crawford  and  his  family,  with  most  heroic  self- 
denial,  gave  themselves  to  this  noble  effort  to  establish 
a  Christian  school  in  this  Western  country.  Through 
the  work  of  this  school,  and  many  of  its  students,  a 
great  evangelical  influence  was  felt  over  that  section 
of  the  country,  and  many  churches  were  organized 
through  the  efforts  of  the  young  men. 

In  the  summer  of  1883  Professor  MacVicar  visited 
Prairie  College  and  attended  the  Baptist  denomina 
tional  gathering  at  Portage  la  Prairie.  In  view  of 
the  severe  struggle  which  had  attended  the  life  of  this 
little  College,  and  also  the  effort  which  was  then  being 
made  to  centralize  Baptist  Theological  work  in  the 
city  of  Toronto,  it  was  decided  'by  those  in  charge 
that  educational  effort  should  cease  at  Rapid  City. 

(2)  Private  Academy.  In  the  meantime  another 
educational  effort  had  been  initiated  by  Rev.  G.  B. 
Davis  and  his  brother-in-law,  Professor  S.  J.  McKee. 
In  order  to  meet  the  needs  of  students  which  Prairie 
College  was  not  prepared  to  touch,  these  men,  in 
1882,  resolved  to  build  a  private  Academy  in  Rapid 
City.  This  was  opened  in  October  that  same  year. 
The  following  year,  however,  Mr.  Davis  decided  to 
return  to  the  pastorate,  and  settled  at  Moose  Jaw. 
After  three  years'  work  in  Rapid  City,  Professor 
McKee  decided  to  move  his  school  to  Brandon,  and 
there  continued  his  work  until  the  founding  of  Brandon 
College,  in  1899,  when  he  entered  the  staff  of  this 
new  denominational  institution. 

The  Baptists  of  Canada  would  be  sadly  remiss, 
should  they  read  the  record  of  this  self-sacrificing  effort 
on  the  part  of  Dr.  Crawford  and  his  coadjutors,  with 
out  feelings  of  grateful  appreciation  and  reverence. 


WESTERN   CANADA 


2*1 


3)  Brandon  College.     The  founding  of  Brando** 
College  did  not  grow  out  of  any  sudden  impulse  to 
was   the    result   of   a   deep-seated   conviction    n'  fhe 
minds  of  a  large  number  of  the  Baptist  leaders    that 
something  must  be  done  by  the  denomination    along 
educational  lines.     For  a  number  of  years  the  Educa 
tional  Committee  had  been  active,  making  investigation 
and  preparing  the  constituency  to  take  hold  of  the 
problems  of  establishing  a  College.     Finally,  in  1890 
the  services  of  Rev.  A.  P.  McDiarmid,  D.D     were 
secured,    to    lead    the    movement    to    fruition       He 
solicited    funds    from   Baptists   in   both   Eastern   and 
Western  Canada,  and  was  successful  in  securing  a 
small   endowment,  together  with  sufficient  money  to 
justify  the  erection  of  a  building.     In  making  this 
strong  beginning  in  educational  work,  the  denomina 
tion  was  very  largely  indebted  to  the  generosity  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Davies,  of  the  City  of  Toronto. 
I  he  new  building  was  opened  in  the  Fall  of  1901, 
classes   having   been   held   during   the   previous    two 
years   in  temporary  quarters  in  the  City  of  Brandon. 
Progress.     The   enrolment   for  the   first  year   was 
no.     This  has  increased  from  year  to  year,  until  in 
the  College  year,  1909-1910,  the  roll  showed  a  gratify 
ing    total    of   364   students.     The    staff   of   teachers 
employed  during  the  first  year  numbered  five.     The 
increase  in  the  number  of  departments  and  the  grow 
ing  student  body  has  required  an  enlargement  of  the 
staff    from  time  to  time,  until  now  there  are  twenty- 
two  teachers.     The  opportunities  for  such  an  institu 
tion  in  this   Western  country  have  been  very  great 
from  the  beginning,  and  have  multiplied  with  the  years. 
The  numbers  of  young  men  and  young  women  who 


282         THE   BAPTISTS   OF  CANADA 

come  within  its  halls  carry  forth  the  higher  ideals  of 
a  cultured  Christian  life,  in  such  a  way  as  they  could 
not  otherwise  be  distributed.  The  efficiency  and 
equipment  of  the  school  have  been  greatly  increased 
by  the  addition  of  Clark  Hall.  This  forms  the  north 
wing  of  the  College  building,  and  is  used  as  a  dormi 
tory  for  young  women.  This  building  was  made  pos 
sible  through  the  gifts  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Clark, 
of  Winnipeg. 

Standing.  In  its  brief  history  of  twelve  years, 
Brandon  College  has  taken  high  rank  among  Colleges 
of  Western  Canada.  Judged  by  the  number  of  students 
and  the  quality  and  scope  of  its  curricula,  it  stands 
in  the  forefront  of  educational  institutions  in  the 
Prairie  Provinces. 

Service.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  estimate  in  any 
accurate  way  the  contribution  which,  during  these 
years,  the  College  has  made  to  the  denomination's 
life  in  Western  Canada.  In  the  expansion  of  Baptist 
Mission  work  in  the  establishment  of  new  causes,  it 
has  played,  through  the  ministerial  students  trained  in 
its  class-rooms,  no  small  part.  To  a  very  large  degree, 
pioneer  Missionary  work  of  Baptists  in  Western  Can 
ada  has  been  done,  and  is  still  being  done,  by  student 
Missionaries  from  Brandon  College,  during  their  vaca 
tion  months,  or  in  the  longer  periods  between  their 
terms  in  College.  In  this  respect,  therefore,  the  ser 
vice  rendered  by  Brandon  College  has  been,  to  a  larger 
degree  than  is  the  case  with  most  Colleges,  of  a  true 
Home  Mission  character. 

(4)  Okanagan  College.  Early  Efforts.  In  Brit 
ish  Columbia,  as  in  Manitoba,  plans  were  laid,  looking 
toward  the  establishment  of  an  educational  institu- 


WESTERN   CANADA 


2*3 


tion,  long  before  permanent  results  were  attained. 
Back  in  the  early  nineties  of  last  century,  men  with 
large  vision  of  the  future  of  this  splendid  Province 
entertained  hopes  that  at  an  early  date  a  Baptist 
Educational  Institution  might  be  established  in  the 
City  of  Vancouver.  Before  these  plans  had  borne 
fruitage,  however,  the  Province  passed  into  a  severe 
testing,  when  many  hopes  entertained  during  the 
period  of  exceptional  prosperity  were  dashed  beyond 
recall.  Mr.  John  Morton  made  a  grant  to  the  denom 
ination  of  six  acres  of  land,  in  what  is  now  one  of 
the  finest  residential  sections  of  Vancouver.  During 
the  crisis  of  which  mention  has  been  made,  it  was 
realized  that  no  forward  step  could  be  taken,  and 
this  splendid  gift  passed  out  of  the  control  of  the 
denomination,  without  contributing  any  educational 
advantage.  For  a  number  of  years  thereafter,  the 
Convention  of  British  Columbia  had  a  standing  Educa 
tional  Committee,  but  it  was  not  until  the  years  1905- 
1906  that  the  first  move  was  made  toward  securing  the 
Educational  Institution  now  operating  in  that  Province, 
under  the  name  of  Okanagan  College. 

Founding.  In  January,  1906,  a  joint  committee 
from  the  Educational  Board  and  the  Board  of  Mis 
sions  of  the  Baptist  Convention  or  British  Columbia 
decided  that  something  should  be  done  along  the  line 
of  education.  Rev.  A.  J.  Saunders  was  appointed  to 
look  into  an  offer  which  had  come  from  some  inter 
ested  Baptist  men  in  the  town  of  Summerland,  on 
the  Okanagan  Lake.  His  report  was  so  satisfactory 
that  the  Board  approved  the  undertaking,  and  pre 
sented  the  matter  to  the  Baptist  Convention  of  Brit 
ish  Columbia  for  their  consideration.  Subscriptions 


284         THE    BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

were  then  secured  by  Mr.  Saunders,  in  behalf  of  the 
Board,  payable  in  annual  instalments,  covering  a 
period  of  ten  years,  such  payments  to  be  applied  on 
the  sustaining  account  of  the  College.  The  total 
secured  in  this  way  exceeded  $30,000.  A  gift  of 
twenty  acres  of  land  was  made  by  Mr.  James  Ritchie, 
of  Summerland,  as  a  site.  The  College  building,  now 
known  as  Ritchie  Hall,  was  chiefly  provided  by  mem 
bers  of  the  Ritchie  family. 

Progress.  In  the  Fall  of  1906,  work  was  begun 
in  temporary  quarters,  with  Professor  A.  G.  Campbell, 
M.A.,  a  graduate  of  McMaster  University,  in  charge. 
In  1907,  Professor  E.  W.  Sawyer,  M.A.,  D.C.L.,  of 
Wolfville,  Nova  Scotia,  was  called  by  the  Educational 
Board  to  take  Charge  of  the  new  enterprise.  The 
building  was  completed  for  the  opening  term  of  1907- 
1908,  and  was  filled  with  students  the  first  year.  Early 
in  tRe  history  of  the  school  the  demand  for  a  dormi 
tory  for  young  women  was  very  strongly  felt,  and 
steps  were  taken  toward  providing  a  second  building. 
This  was  completed  in  1910,  and  a  new  gymnasium 
was  opened  about  the  same  time. 

Work.  Okanagan  College  provides  the  regular 
Academic  courses  and  teaching  in  Arts,  up  to  the 
second  year  of  the  University  courses.  There  are  also 
courses  provided  in  Business,  Science,  Music  and  Art. 
The  work  already  accomplished  by  this  institution 
amply  proves  that  it  is  appreciated  in  its  own  con 
stituency,  and  in  days  to  come  it  will  take  its  place 
in  a  yet  stronger  way  in  the  chain  of  Baptist  Colleges 
which  extends  from  the  Atlantic  Coast  to  that  of  the 
Pacific, 


WESTERN    CANADA  285 

(5)  Other  Educational  Institutions  Proposed.   The 
other  Provinces  are  not  -behind  Manitoba  and  British 
Columbia   in   their   desires   for  educational   facilities. 
Land  has  been  offered  in  more  than  one  place  for  the 
establishment    of    such    institutions.     At   the   recent 
meeting  of  the  Baptist  Union  of  Western  Canada,  held 
in  Winnipeg,  November,  1910,  a  proposal  for  an  insti 
tution  in  Alberta  was  presented  for  the  consideration 
of  the  representatives.    A  large  tract  of  land,  beauti 
fully  located  in  the  City  of  Calgary,  has  been  offered 
by  Mr.  A.  J.  McArthur,  M.P.P.,  a  member  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  Calgary,  as  a  most  suitable  site 
for  the  Alberta  Baptist  College.     In  addition  to  this, 
the  same  donor  is  willing  to  provide  a  considerable 
amount  toward  the  equipment  of  such  an  institution, 
while  others   have  intimated  their  readiness  to  join 
with   him   in   providing   for   the   establishment   of   a 
strong  College   in  this  promising  City.     Steps  have 
been  taken  which  look  toward  such  a  movement  in  the 
Province  of  Saskatchewan.    The  sphere  open  to  such 
residential    schools    in    Western    Canada     is    already 
fraught  with  large  opportunity  of  service,  and  will  be 
increasingly  important  as  population  increases  in  those 
vast  areas. 

(6)  Supervision.      Board  of  Education.    At  the  last 
meeting  of  the  Baptist  Union  of  Western  Canada,  a 
Board  of  Education  was  appointed,  which  will  deal 
directly  with  such  matters  as  the  establishment  of  new 
educational  institutions.    The  By-law  of  the  Constitu 
tion  of  the  Baptist  Union  of  Western  Canada  bearing 
upon  the  appointment  and  powers  of  this  Board  of 
Education  is  as  follows :— "  The  Union  shall  vest  the 
general  supervision  of  its  educational  work  in  a  Board 


286         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

of  Education,  which  shall  have  control  of  all  inter- 
College  relations,  and  regulations.  The  powers  of  this 
Board  shall  also  include  control  over  any  forward 
movement  inaugurated  in  behalf  of  any  existing  Col 
lege,  or  the  establishment  of  any  new  institution  of 
the  denomination.  To  this  Board  the  Faculties  of  the 
Schools  and  Colleges  belonging  to  the  Union,  shall 
report,  as  required  on  curricula,  examinations  and 
standard  of  Diplomas  and  Certificates,  and  all  matters 
affecting  the  same.  The  Board  of  Education  shall 
be  composed  of  twelve  members,  elected  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  Union,  for  a  term  of  three  years,  and 
so  arranged  at  the  first  election  that  four  shall  retire 
each  year.  The  Principal  of  the  College,  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  Union  and  the  General  Secretary  of  the 
Union  shall  also  act  as  advisory  members  with  the 
twelve  duly  elected  members." 

Board  of  Governors.  It  will  thus  appear  that  the 
Union  is  seeking  to  provide  in  a  strong  way  for 
the  supervision  of  educational  work  throughout  the 
entire  West,  laying  foundations  for  a  system  of  educa 
tional  institutions  which  will  serve  their  wide  consti 
tuency  in  an  efficient  way.  The  work  of  this  Board 
will  thus  conflict  in  no  way  with  the  duties  of  the 
Boards  of  Governors  of  the  Colleges.  Each  Board 
of  Governors  will  have  full  jurisdiction  over  the  details 
of  the  College  in  whose  behalf  its  appointment  is  made, 
and  will  control  the  detail  expenditure  of  all  income 
accruing  to  that  College. 

(7)  Spirit  and  Leaders.  Behind  all  this  effort  is 
the  realization  that  such  educational  work  is  in  the 
truest  sense  the  work  of  Home  Missions.  It  is  being 
increasingly  felt  by  the  Mission  Boards  that  the  hope 


WESTERN   CANADA  287 

of  the  Baptist  Churches  of  Western  Canada  in  the 
future  must  lie  very  largely  with  the  young  men  in 
the  Baptist  Colleges  of  the  West,  who  are  being  trained 
for  the  pastoral  office.  It  is  inevitable  that,  other 
things  being  equal,  the  young  men  who  have  the  atmos 
phere  of  Western  Canada  in  their  blood,  and  the  spirit 
of  the  West  in  their  brains,  will  render  more  efficient 
service  than  is  possible  by  any  others.  The  educational 
work  has,  therefore,  been  undertaken,  and  is  being 
sustained,  in  the  spirit  of  loyalty  toward  those  ideals 
for  which  the  Baptist  Churches  of  Western  Canada, 
as  elsewhere  throughout  the  world,  are  standing.  For 
the  intelligent  development  of  this  spirit,  within  its 
constituency,  the  denomination  is  deeply  indebted  to 
the  strong  ministry  of  President  A.  P.  McDiarmid. 
Not  only  has  he  served  efficiently,  and  unstintingly, 
in  the  Principalship  of  Brandon  College,  but  among 
the  churches  he  has  wielded  an  influence  of  untold 
worth.  Outside  of  the  denominational  lines  also,  he 
has  won  for  himself  a  high  place  in  the  regard  of 
educationalists  throughout  Canada.  Although  not  so 
long  in  the  service  of  Western  education  as  his  brother 
President,  Dr.  Sawyer,  Principal  of  Okanagan  Col 
lege,  has  won  the  affectionate  esteem  and  confidence 
of  his  constituency.  With  such  men  at  the  head  of  its 
Colleges,  the  cause  of  education  is  not  likely  to  lan 
guish  within  the  bounds  of  the  Baptist  Union  of 
Western  Canada. 

5.    DENOMINATIONAL  JOURNALS. 

In  the  case  of  publication,  as  in  the  earlier  history 
of  all  other  phases  of  Baptist  endeavor  in  Western 
Canada,  there  are  two  lines  of  record  representing  the 


288         THE    BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

two  original  conventions.  As  in  other  enterprises  also, 
these  two  lines,  after  various  windings,  eventually 
converge. 

(1)  "The  Northwest  Baptist."  The  beginnings, 
in  systematic  publication,  date  back  to  the  annual  meet 
ing  of  the  Baptist  Convention  of  Manitoba  and  the 
Northwest  Territories  held  at  Brandon  in  July,  1885. 
At  that  gathering  it  was  decided  that  a  monthly  paper 
should  be  established  to  be  known  as  The  Northwest 
Baptist.  The  first  editor  was  Rev.  A.  A.  Cameron, 
then  pastor  of  First  Baptist  Church,  Winnipeg,  to 
whose  vision  and  enterprise  the  initiation  of  this  pro 
ject  was  largely  due.  Mr.  J.  F.  Mclntyre  was 
appointed  as  Business  Manager,  and  for  many  years 
afterward  gave  unstintingly  of  time  and  service  in  the 
interests  of  this  work.  The  first  issue  appeared  under 
date  of  August  1st,  1885,  and  contained  a  full  account 
of  the  proceedings  of  the  previous  convention  gather 
ing,  together  with  statistical  tables  of  the  churches. 
The  paper  found  a  very  cordial  reception  in  its  con 
stituency  and  proved  a  most  satisfactory  medium  for 
the  spread  of  missionary  intelligence  in  respect  to  the 
Western  work.  When  Mr.  Cameron  resigned  from  the 
pastorate  of  First  Church,  the  editorial  pen  was,  with 
the  pastorate,  passed  on  to  his  successor,  Rev.  Alex 
ander  Grant.  For  a  'brief  period,  however,  the  paper 
was  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  W.  H.  Jenkins,  of 
Brandon.  After  a  time  also  the  business  management 
passed  to  Mr.  H.  H.  Stovel,  who  continued  to  serve 
in  this  capacity  until  his  death,  after  which  Mr.  F.  J. 
Allan  held  this  office  for  a  number  of  years. 

In  April,  1895,  publication  of  The  Northwest  Bap* 
tist  was  suspended  by  agreement  of  the  Convention 

\ 


WESTERN   CANADA 


289 


with  The  Canadian  Baptist,  and  the  latter  sought  to 
serve  the  Baptists  of  the  Western  Provinces  as  well 
as  those  of  Ontario  and  Quebec.  Under  Mr.  Grant, 
publication  was,  however,  resumed  in  July,  1897,  but 
the  issue  of  August  following  contained  the  obituary 
of  the  editor  who  had  left  copy  ready  in  the  printer's 
hands  when  he  set  out  for  his  fatal  trip  on  the  Nepigon. 
The  next  editor  to  be  permanently  installed  was 
Rev.  W.  C.  Vincent,  pastor  of  Logan  Avenue  Baptist 
Church,  Winnipeg.  The  responsible  tasks  of  this 
office  he  ably  discharged  until  he  closed  his  work  with 
the  above  church.  It  was  during  Mr.  Vincent's  regime 
that  the  paper  became  a  semi-monthly,  and  such  its 
successor  is  at  the  present  time.  For  a  period  fol 
lowing  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Vincent,  Mr.  J.  F.  Mc- 
Intyre  took  the  supervision  of  the  paper,  and  at  this 
time  also,  as  indeed  at  many  other  times  as  well,  Dr. 
W.  A.  Mclntyre  rendered  the  denomination  large 
service  through  the  editorial  columns.  At  the  Con 
vention  meeting  of  1905  Rev.  D.  B.  Harkness  was 
called  to  the  editorship  in  conjunction  with  his  office 
as  Superintendent  of  Non-English  Missions.  Follow 
ing  upon  the  terms  of  office  of  the  business  manage 
ment  already  mentioned,  the  Baptist  Women's  Mission 
ary  Society  were  for  some  years  responsible  for  the 
business  management  of  the  paper.  Their  first  repre 
sentative  in  this  office  was  Mrs.  C.  W.  Clark,  who  was 
followed  later  by  Miss  M.  I.  Reekie.  For  several 
years  after  the  establishment  of  a  general  office  of  the 
denomination  in  Winnipeg,  Miss  Reekie  was  connected 
therewith,  and  took  charge  of  the  business  side  of  the 
paper,  in  addition  to  her  other  duties. 
19 


290         THE   BAPTISTS    OF   CANADA 

(2)  Western  Baptist.    At  the  meeting  of  the  Bap 
tist  Convention  of  British  Columbia,  in  1899,  a  Pub 
lication  Board  was  appointed  to  publish  a  paper  to  be 
known  as  The  Western  Baptist,  to  become  the  official 
organ  of  the  British  Columbia  Baptists.     This  paper 
was  published  monthly  at  Vancouver,  beginning  with 
November,  1899,  its  first  editor  being  the  pastor  of 
First  Baptist  Church,  Vancouver,  Rev.  W.  B.  Hinson, 
while  its  business  manager  was  Mr.  C.  L.  Brown,  who 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Nicholson.     In  August, 
1900,  the  paper  was  moved  to  Victoria,  when  Rev. 
I.  G.  Matthews  and  Rev.  J.  F.  Vichert  became  asso 
ciate   editors,   and   Mr.    C.  L,.   Brown   again   became 
business  manager.     In  1902  the  paper  was  published 
in  New  Westminster  with  Mr.  E.  L.  Webber  as  busi 
ness  manager.     In  August  of  1903,  however,  it  was 
again  removed  to  Victoria  and  Mr.   R.   S.  Daggett 
became  business  manager.     Later  in  the  same  year 
Mr.  Daggett  resigned  and  Rev.  J.  F.  Vichert  became 
editor  and  business  manager  of  the  paper.     Upon  his 
removal  to  Chicago,  Mr.  W.  Marchant  became  editor 
and  Rev.  D.  Leroy  Dakin  business  manager,  but  upon 
Mr.  Marchant's  resignation  in  the  summer  of  1907, 
Mr.  Dakin  assumed  the  double  burden,  until  it  was 
amalgamated  with   The  Northwest  Baptist,  January 
1st,  1908  .     The  coming  together  of  these  papers  was 
the  natural  result  of  the  union  of  the  Baptist  Conven 
tion  of  British  Columbia  and  the  Baptist  Convention 
of  Manitoba  and  the  Northwest  Territories.     The  name 
then  chosen  for  the  united  paper  was  The  Western 
Outlook. 

(3)  The  Western  Outlook.    tThe  Western  Outlook 
has,  since  its  inception,  been  published  in  Winnipeg, 


WESTERN    CANADA  2gi 

with  the  exception  of  six  months  during  which  it  was 
printed  in  Brandon,  and  until  February,  191 1    under 
Mr  Harkness  and  Professor  P.  G.  Mode  as  as*soda  e 
editors,  and  Miss  Reekie  as  business  manager.    Sg 
his  term  of  office  as  Associate  General  Secretary  of 
the   Baptist   Union,  Rev.   C.   W.  Jackson   was   also 
associate    editor  of    the  Western    Outlook.     On    his 
resignation  in  February,   i9n,  Mr.  Harkness  asked 
the  Publication  Board  to  relieve  him  of  the  duties  of 
editing  the  paper,  and  closed  a  period  of  nearly  six 
years  in  this  office  with  the  issue  of  March  I5th,  1911 
Ihe  work  was  immediately  taken  up  by  Rev   A    M 
MacDonald   and   Rev.  J.   N.   MacLean  as  associate 
editors.     With  their  accession  to  the  editorial  throne 
the  paper  was  enlarged  to  sixteen  pages,  instead  of 
twelve,  as  heretofore,  and  bids  fair  under  the  strong 
supervision  of  its  able  editors    to  take  a  yet  larger 
place  in  the  esteem  of  the  denomination  and  as  an 
influence  making  for  cohesion  and  efficiency  among 
the  churches. 

6.  WHAT  OF  THE  FUTURE? 

In  the  preceding  sections  have  been  brought  down  to 
date  in  brief  fashion  the  records  of  the  Baptist  work 
in  Western  Canada.  Therein  may  be  found  some 
intimation  of  the  progress  which  is  possible  in  the 
years  of  the  immediate  future.  In  the  organizations 
now  in  effect,  and  with  the  officers  now  in  the  field, 
or  others  of  like  spirit  and  vision,  there  seems  every 
reason  to  hope  that  the  work  may  foe  well  and  effici 
ently  administered  in  that  great  area.  The  Baptist 
churches  of  Western  Canada  have  already  had  some 


292         THE   BAPTISTS   OF   CANADA 

little  share  in  shaping  the  religious  consciousness  of 
this  new  land,  and  contributing  to  the  heightening  of 
those  ideals  which  make  for  the  truest  citizenship. 
More  and  more,  as  the  years  pass,  will  the  value  of 
this  work  become  evident  in  the  cementing  of  the 
scores  of  nationalities  which  have  been  contributing 
their  quota  to  the  population  of  this  country,  and 
bringing  out  of  them  one  true  national  life  permeated 
by  Christian  ideals  and  devoted  to  the  pursuits  of  an 
ever  advancing  Christian  civilization, 


APPENDIX 


Countries. 
EUROPE:.... 

Churches 

4.552 
1.719 
114 
58,352 
311 

65.048 

61.681 

Pastors 
and 
Mission 
aries. 

3.356 
1,300 
167 
43.764 
234 

48.821 

46,206 

Members 

581,734 
186,092 
14,785 
5,905.006 
27.594 

6.715.211 

J.195  817 

~~  > 

Scholars 
in 
Sunday 
Schools. 

699,610 
89.624 
9.867 
2,730,388 
37.627 

3.567.117 

3  226  221 

AMERICA  

Grand  Totals,  1910 

1907  

1904  
BRITISH  EMPIRE. 

Great  Britain,  Ireland  and  Chan 
nel  Islands  

60,347 

41,306 

5.761,945 

418,680 
128.730 
157,085 
27,594 
5.315 

52,737 
5.925.070 

2,799.056 

576.448 
89.725 
65.443 
37,627 
4,060 

38,171 
2,755.642 

3.080 
1.279 
1.407 
311 
48 

252 

58,671 

2,132 
769 
788 
234 
39 

129 
44.730 

Dominion  of  Canada  ... 

India  and  Ceylon  

Australasia  

South  Africa  

Jamaica.  Bahamas.  Turk's  Island. 
San  Domingo,  Caicos,  Trinidad, 
and  British  Honduras  

FOREIGN  COUNTRIES  

Grand  Totals,  1910... 

1907  

65,048 

61,681 

48,821 

46,206 

5,715,211 

'.195.817 

3,567,116 

3.226,221 

1904  

60.347 

41,306 

,761,945 

2,799.056 

NOTE. 

fm  -  8ummary  is  corrected  to  December,  1910.    The  sources 

from  which  it  has  been  compiled  are  the  returns  from  the  Churches  in  the 
Jhp'if  *• K>.n*d°m.  collected  principally  through  the  Associations  and  Unions; 
the  statistics  supplied  by  the  Colonial  and  Foreign  Unions  and  Associations,  and 
iniorraation  contained  in  the  reports  of  various  missionary  societies.  The 
ngures  given  above  include  the  approximate  number  of  accredited  members  in 
recognized  Baptist  Churches,  but  do  not  include  those  who.  holding  the  prin 
ciple  that  baptism  is  a  profession  of  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  are  to  be 
round  in  other  denominations.  Op  the  other  hand,  deductions  should  be  made 
^  those  who,  not  being  Baptists,  are  to  be  found  among  Baptist  Churches 
having  Open  Memberahip. 


293 


INDEX 


All    Associations,    Churches,     Conferences,     Conventions    and 
Societies  are  indexed  under  those  words  only. 


Academy,  Horton,  31,  33,  38, 
40,  48,  63,  84;  private, 
280 

Acadia  College,  31,  34,  37,  46, 
47,   55,   62,   63,  80,  82,     87, 
163,   260. 
Acadian    French,    21,    46,    55, 

56,   57. 

Acadie    (meaning-),   17. 
Achilles,  H.,  56,  60. 
Adams,  H.  F.,  66. 
Affiliation         (Grande-Ligne), 

203. 

Alberta  Baptist  College,  285. 
Alexander   Grant  Mem.    Scan. 

Ch.,   274. 

(Alexander,    John,     221,     223; 

Mrs.     John       (Sr. ),     139; 

Miss    G.    B.,   139;    W.,    17. 

Allan,  F.   J.,  288. 

Alline,   Henry,    19,   20,    21,   22, 

29,    30,   32,   68. 
American  Civil  War,  223. 
Amherst  College,  49. 
Anabaptists,  18. 
Anderson,    Jas.,    234;    M.,    70; 

W.  K.,  121,   126. 
Andrews,   E.,   103. 
Anglicans,,   18,   21,   45,   49     76, 

80,  115,  189. 
Ansley,    Thos.,    30. 
Archibald,   E.    N.,    64;   W.    L., 

39. 

Argaud,  M.,   219. 
Armstrong,    G.,    46,    60;    Miss 

M.,   39;  W.   F.,   39. 
Artemenko,  John,  277. 
Association,  African,  65. 
"     Amherstburg,  149. 
"     Baptist    and    Congrega 
tional,  24. 

"     Eastern        (N.B.),        82; 
(N.S.),    43,    55;     (O.), 
117-119. 
"     Canada  Central,  103,  133, 

153. 

••     Central  (N.S.),  43,  54. 
"     Grande   River,    111,    117; 

(N.),  149;   (S.),  149. 
"     Haldimand,       108,       111 

116,    149. 
••    Huron,  152. 


Association,    Johnstown,    107, 

111,   117,   119,   149. 
"     Middlesex     and     Lamb- 
ton,  152. 
"     New   Brunswick.    34,    43, 

77,    80. 

"     Niagara,   149. 
"     Nova   Scotia,    15,    23,    24, 
34,  43,  44,  66    74,  77,  80. 
"     Ottawa,     103,     111,     113, 

120. 

"     Peterborough,    103. 
"     Puget  Sound,  245,  246. 
"     Prince    Edward     Island, 

44. 

"     Red  River,   235. 
"     Southern    (N.B.),   84,   85. 
"     Thurlow,   107,    111,    119. 
"     Toronto,     103. 
"     United  Baptist,  85. 
"     Western    (N.B.),    82,    85; 
(N,S.),      43,      54,      57; 
(Ont.),    Ill,    112,    113, 
117,  149. 
"     Whitby      and      Lindsay, 

103. 
Associational    H.    M.    Boards, 

154. 

Atherton,  Frank  L.,  41. 
Attwood,  M.,  70. 
Aubin,   M.   N.,   217,   225. 
Auger,  B.,  224;  L.,  204,  226. 
Auxiliary  Bible  Society,  46. 
Auvache,  F.   W.,   249. 
Avery,  G.  W.,  61,  139. 
Ayer,   A.   A,    188,   226;    Louis, 

224,   226. 

Bailey,  Mr.   and  Mrs.,  244. 
Baker,  A.  F..  64;  G.,  188;  J.  C., 

245 

Baldwin,  T.,  152,  232    234,  226. 
Bancroft,   S.,   28,   61. 
Baptist  Missionary  Magazine, 

51,  64,  78. 
"     Union    of    Canada,    180, 

236. 
"     "     of    W.     Canada,    250, 

254,  258,  275,  279. 
"     Visitor,  146. 
"     Young    People's    Union, 

168,    169. 
Barber,  A,   113. 


294 


INDEX 


295 


Baylor  University,  183,  184 

Deals,  S.,  20. 

Beam,  J.;  113    128. 

Beaven,   J.,   245. 

Beckwith,  M.,  46. 

Beecher,  Lyman,  50. 

Begrinningrs,    15 

Bell,   B.,   182. 

Beng-oug-h,  E.  J.,  187. 

Bentley,  D.,  133,  186,  226 

Berezynski,    M.,   277 

Berg-en,  N.   I.  L.,  274 

Berg-h,   M.,    273,   275. 

Best,    A.    A.,    224;    J.    H.,    236, 

238,    239,    246,    247. 
Bible  Circulation,   36,  54,  117 
Bigrelow,  — ,  127. 
Big-  Four  Mission   Fund,   254. 
Bill,    C.    R.,    54;    I.    E.,    19,    34, 

36,    48,    50,    53,    61,    66,    81, 

Bing-ham,  H.   H.,   188. 

Bishop,    C.,    244;    P.,    20. 

Bishop's   College,   204 

Black,  W.,  18. 

Bloedow,   F.   A.,   261,   271 

Bly,  L.,  205. 

Board      of      Governors      (Mc- 

Master),  182. 
Bodley,    C.    J.,    188. 
Bodwell,  E.  V.,  135. 
Bog-g-s,  W.  B.,  39. 
Bog-uet,  A.,   226. 
Poobis,  W.,  277. 
Booker,  Miss,  264. 
Bosworth,    E.,    221,    225,    226; 

N.,   116,    118. 
Bost,    A.,    224. 
Botterill,  E.,  221. 
Bowen,  J.  C.,  261. 
Boyd,   Sir  John,   136;   R.,   107, 

116,    117,    128. 
Bracq,  J.  €.,  211,  215. 
Bradshaw,    J.,    88. 
Brag-house,  S.,  231. 
Brandon     Colleg-e,     179,     181, 

243,     274,     275,     279,     281, 

287. 

British  Columbia,  244. 
Brocher,  Mile.,  204. 
Brouillet,  A.  C.,    207,  211;  H., 

207,  219,  225;  T.,  205,  211, 

213,    224,    225. 
Brown,  A.  L.,  188;  C.  L.,  290; 

J.    G..    147,    181,    187,    190; 

M,  W,,  59, 


.., 

215. 

Bulgarians,  177. 
Burg-dorff,  G.,  265,  276    277 
Burg-ess,  Mrs.,   19 
Burke,  E.,   188. 

^tsISf'34'89'47'    "' 
Burtch,  A.,   128,   142,   164 
Burton,   J.,  23,   24,   26,   3,   186; 

Burwash,  'A.,'  205,    214,    216, 

Butler,    —  ,    120,    127. 
Cabot,  Sebastian,   16. 
Calder,  J.   G.,  106. 
Caldicott,  —  ,   134,   135. 
Caldwell,   J.,   20,   56 
Calvin,  D.  D.,  135. 
Cameron,  A.  A.,  187,  190,  235 
288,;    C.    J.,    182,    187;    R.) 

Campbell,    A.    G.,    28;    G     H 

179;  R.,  122. 

Canada   Baptist   Colleg-e,    118, 
121,  123,   124,   125,  126, 
130,  160. 
'     Baptist   Mag-,    and   Miss. 

Reg-.,   122. 

Baptist  Union,  115. 
Canadian    Baptist,     139,     145, 

146,    163,    164,    289. 
'     Lit.    Inst,    141,   161,   162, 

163,   183. 

1     Miss.  Link,  146. 
Canfield,  C.  W.,  113. 
Games,  W.,   244,   245. 
Carey   Centennial,   156. 
Carson,  Dr.,   162. 
Carter,  L.   G.,  165. 
Case,  —  ,  28. 
Cellier,  M.,  202. 
Census     Returns,     1850,     45; 

1881,   96. 

Cesan,  Jacques,  215. 
Cham  plain,   17. 
Chapin,   Prin.,   50. 
Charbonnel,  M.,  202. 
Chase,   Jno.,   46,    61. 
Chipman,    A.,    49;    T.    L.f    34, 
37,   50,    52,    62,    81;    D.,    23, 
24,    26,    30;    Wm.,    30,    49, 
66;   W.   A.,   46. 
Choat,  Miss,  226. 
Christian    Messeng-er,    34,    40, 

51,   54,  81,  141,  145. 
"     Visitor,  40,  82,  61,  89, 
"    Union,  183, 


296 


INDEX 


Christian,  Wm.,  108. 
Christians,   69. 
Christopher,   A.,    244. 
Church,  Acadian,  French,  57. 
"     Ailsa  Craig-,   151. 
"     Alma,  87. 

Annapolis,   23,  24,  58. 

Arnprior,  131,  195. 

Aylmer,  109. 

Baltimore,   87. 

Barrie,  153. 
"     Barrington,   68,  69. 
"     Bayham,    109. 
"     Beamsville,   102,    108. 
"     Bear  River,  59. 
"     Bear  Island,  90. 
"     Beaver  River,  70. 
"     Bedeque,  67. 
"     Berlin,  194. 
"     Berryton,   87. 
"     BerwicK,  57. 
"     Boston,  110,  111. 
"     Brampton,  153. 
"     Brantford,    153,   151. 
"     Bredalbane,  105,  107,  124, 

126. 

"     Brockville,  107. 
"     Caldwell's  Manor,  102. 
"     Calgary,    239. 
"     Center  Village,    86. 
"     Charlotteville  (Vittoria). 
"     Chatham,  151. 
"     Chester,   24,   26,   51. 
"     Chilliwack,    246. 
"     Claremont,  151. 
"     Clarence,   105. 
"     •Colling  wood,   153. 
"     Cooksville,  86. 
"     Cornwallis,  23,  24,  26,  27. 
"     Cramahe,  107,  126. 
"     Dalesville,  105. 
"     Deer  Lake,  177. 
"     Digby,   24,   26. 
"     Dorchester,   86. 
"     Drummondville,    109. 
"     East  River,  71. 
"     Ederwold,  269. 
"     Eglinton,  172. 
"     Elg-in,  87. 
"     Elmwood,  194. 
"     Emerson,  234. 
"     Five  Points,  87. 
"     Fort  William,  172. 
"     Fredericton,  75,  99. 
"     Gait,  153. 
"     Gladstone,  235. 
"     Grande-Ligne,  209. 
"     Grimsby,  153. 
"     Guelph,  156. 
"     Haldimand,  108,  107, 126. 
«    Halifax,  20,  24,  26,  30. 


Church,  Hallowell's,   107,   126. 
"     Hamilton,  156. 
"     Hanover,  194. 
"     Harvey,  87. 
"     Hig-h  Bluff,  234,  235. 
"     Hillsborough,   87. 
"     Ho-pwell,  87. 
1     Jacksontown,  90. 

Jerusalem,  98. 

Kemptville,  126. 

Kenmore,  153. 

Kenora,   172,   177. 

Kentville,  161. 

Killaloe,  195. 

Kingston,  107. 

Lac  Long-,  217. 

Lethbridge,  240. 

Lindsay,   126,   151. 

Lincoln,   90. 

Little  River,  90. 

Logan,  195. 

London,  109,  153. 

Lower  Granville,  25,  26. 

Lynedoch,  195. 

Malahide,  109. 

Maskinonge,   213. 

Meaford,   156. 

Middleton,  109. 

Montreal,    106,   124,    153, 
156,   172,   177,   212. 

Moose  Jaw,  240. 

Mulgrave,  194. 

Nanaimo,  246. 

New  Hamburgh,  194. 

New  Horton,  87. 

Newport,   24,   62. 

New  Westminster,   246. 

Niagara,   109,  172. 

Nictaux,  30. 

North   Bay,   172. 

Norton,  25,  26,  77. 

Onslow,  55. 

Orillia,   153. 

Ormonds,   106,   151. 

Osgoode,  105. 

Osnabruck,    106. 

Ottawa,  106,  156,  172,  215. 

Owen   Sound,    153. 

Paisley,   151. 

Parkindale,   87. 

Parry  Sound,  156. 

Peterborough,   105,   172. 

Petitcodiac,    87. 

Petrolia,  153. 

Phlllipsville,  107. 

Plattsville,   153. 

Point  Du  Bute,    86. 

Pollett  River,  87. 

Portage  la  Prairie,  234. 

Port  Arthur,   156,  177. 

Port  Hawkesbury,  60. 

Preston,  172. 


INDEX 


Church,  Prince  William,  25,  26 

Quebec,   216. 
'     Queensbury,   25. 
'     Queenston,   109. 

Ragged   Islands,   26 

Rapid  City,  235. 

Rawdon,  107. 

R«gina,  240. 
'     Reynardton,  71. 

Rockport,  86. 

Roussilon,  216. 
'     Roxton  Pond. 
1     Sable  Island,  69 
1     Sackville,   19,   24,   26,   30, 

"  Saint' Pie,  209. 
'  Salisbury,  87. 
'  Sarnia,  151. 

Sault  Ste.  Marie,  156. 

Sawyervlll©  (Eaton),  103, 
105,  125. 

Sebastopol,   195. 
'     Shawinigan  Falls,   219 

Shelburne,  65. 

Sherbrooke,  219. 
1     Sherow's  Island,  68. 
1     Sorel,   218. 
'     South   Ely,  213. 
'     South  Gower,  126. 

Sparta,    151. 
1     St.  Andrews,  106,  124 
'     St.  Armand,  104. 

St.  Constant,  214. 

St.   Catharines,   109     117 
1     St.  George,  116. 
1     St.    John,   29,   31,   78,   85, 

"     St.   Peters,  272. 
'     Stanbridg-e,   105. 
1     Stanstead,  105. 
Ste.  Marie,  211. 
Stonewall,  234. 
Stouffville,    126. 
Strathroy,  151. 
Sutton.   105. 
Thurlow,  107. 
Tavistock,  194. 
Toronto,     107,    108,    126, 
151,  153,  156,  157,  172. 
Tusket  Lakes,  71. 
Tyron,   67. 

Upper  Granville,  26. 
Upper  Sussex,   90. 
Vancouver,   246. 
Vankleek  Hill,  156. 
Victoria,  244,  245,  246. 
Vittoria,   109,   110. 
Waterborough,  25,  26,  27. 
Waterside,  87. 
Whitby,  125,  151. 
Windsor        (N.S.),        52, 
(Ont.)   156. 


297 


Church,  Wingham,  151. 

Winnipeg-,  233,  270,  273. 
Wolfville,  19,  20,  26    27 

31,   32,  62. 
Woodstock,  109,  111,  128, 

146,  156. 
Woolwich,   194. 
Yarmouth,  23,  24,  26,  27, 

"     Zurich,  196. 
Church    Edifice,    66,    130.    133 

135,   168,   188,    263. 
Church  Extension  Boards   176 
Churchill,   u.   w.,   39. 
Chute.  O.,  55,  57.   82,   87. 
City,   Challeng-e   of,   175. 
Clarke,   C.    W.,   266,    282,    289; 
G.,    226;    J.    S.,    272,    273; 
J-,  20;  R.,  234;  W.  W.  41. 
Claxton  Jas.   135. 
Cleveland  N.,  74  77. 
Cleg-horn,  — ,  116 
Clergy  Reserves,  115,  122. 
Clyde,  A.,  244. 

Cogswell,   G.,   54;   D.   H.,  247. 
Cohoe,   W.,    179. 
Cohoon,  A.,  59,  61. 
Coleman,  W.  A.,  86,  88. 
Colored  People,  65,  108. 
Colpitts,  J.  R.,  98;  R.,  41. 
Commette,    C.f    224. 
Conference,   Clinton,   110. 
1     Free  Baptist   (N.B.),   16, 
40,     85,      90,      91,      94; 

(N.S.),    16,    70,   72. 
'     Free    Christian    Baptist 

(N.B.)    91;   (N.S.).  69. 
Free  Will  Baptist,  69. 
1     German,   272,   278. 
1     Northern    Germ.  B.,  278; 
'     Swedish,   B.    of  A.,   275. 

W.  Canada,  278. 
Conference  at  Cornwallis,  23. 

"     at  Haldimand,  120,  122. 
Convention,  Alberta,  258. 
"     British     Columbia,     247, 
250,  253,  254,  256,  258, 
29.0. 

"     Galician,    258. 
"     German,  258. 
"     Manitoba,    258. 
"     Manitoba  and  N.  W.,  235. 
"     Missionary  of  Man.,  235. 
"     New  Brunswick  S.  S.  89. 
"     N.  S.,  N.  B.,  and  P.  E.  I., 

16,   35,   40,   44,    45,    72. 
"     North-West  Baptist,  246. 
"     Ont.  and  Que.,  166,   167, 

168,  195,  242. 
"     Russian,  258. 
"     Saskatchewan,    258. 


INDEX 


Convention,  Scandinavian,  258, 

278. 

Western  Canada,  254. 
"     Baptist    Missionary,     of 

U.C.,  112. 

"     Canadian    Baptist    Mis 
sionary   (E.)     133,  149. 
"     Mission    Circle,    268. 
"     Reg:.   Bap.  Miss,   of  Can. 
W.,   131,   140,  147,   150, 
157. 
"     Russian  and  Ruthenian, 

279. 
"     United    Baptist,    16,    40, 

44,    91. 

Cook,  C.,  188. 
Coombes,  J.  E.,  248. 
Cooper,  J.,  128,  135. 
Cote,   C.   H.   V.,    202,   203,   210, 
211,     212,    213,    217,    220; 
L.    O.    F.,    218. 

Craig-,  J.,  26;  W.,  135,  165,  187. 
Cramp,   J.   M.,   37,   38,  62,   116, 

120,    12i,    122. 

Crandall,   D.,   88;   Jos.,   19,   24, 

25,    26,    28,    30,    36,    66,    74, 

75,  77,  78,  79;  L.  H.,  41;  P., 

30;   R.,   103,  107,  126. 

Crawford,    A.,    66;    Jno.,    162; 

Dr.,   279,   280. 

Crawley,  A.,  39,  62;  E.  A.,  37 
47,    49,    50,    62;    R.   R.,    62. 
Creed,  H.   u.,   41. 
Cronkhite,  H.,  98. 
Cross,  G.,  179,  184,  189. 
Crowell,  E.,  72;  T.  H.,  68,  69, 

70,  71. 

Cueudet,  Mile.,  204,  224. 
Cunningham,  R.  W.,  56. 
Curry,   J.   N.,   89. 
Cutten,  G.,  38. 
Cyr,  N.,  133,   202,  204,  212. 
Dadson,   E.   W.,   146,   162,   186. 
Dag-g-ett,  J.  B.,  85;  R.  S.,  290. 
Dakin,   D.   L.,   290. 
Dale,  S.,   188. 
Dales,  Pro.,  179. 
Dalhousie    Collegre,    49. 
Dalpe,   J.,   224. 
Daniel,  W.,  188.   253. 
Daniels,  N.   S.,   36. 
Darrach,  R.,   236. 
Dartmouth  Univ.,  224. 
Davidson,  T.  L.,  116,  121,  132, 
135,  137,  145,  148,  152,  153, 
159,  232. 

Davies,  B.,  120,  122;  Wm.,  281. 
Davis,  B.,  272;  G.  B.  280;  T.  G., 
70;     J.,     64;     J.     E.,     235; 
K.   R.,  70. 
Day,  G.  E.,  57,  64. 


Dayfoot,  P.  K.,  170,  187. 
DeBlois,  S.,  62. 
DeLong-,   T.   C.,   56,  187. 
Dempsey,    J.,    121,    124,    149, 

18C. 

DeMonts,    17. 
Denovan,    J.,    205,    221. 
Denton,  M.,   197,   198. 
Detaude,   L.    W.,    211,    216. 
De  Serres,  Miss  M.  F.,  207. 
De  Wolfe,  H.  T.,  39. 
Dick,  W.   R.,   232,   233,  234. 
Dickie,  R.  V.,   55. 
Dimock,   D.   W.   C.,   52,   56,   81; 

G.,    24,     62;    Jos.,    23,    24, 

25,  26,  30. 
Disciples,   73,   79. 
District  of  Care,  93. 
Doctrine,  15,  18,  24,  27,  40,  67, 

68,    69,    71,    74,    91,    96,    97, 

104,     105,     106,     116,     117, 

125,    189,    192,    223. 
Dominion     Board     of     Home 

Missions,   155,   236,   237. 
Doolittle,    127,    239. 
Doucette,  C.,  87. 
Downey,  W.,  70,  79. 
Dryden,    Jno.,   186,   187. 
Dunbar,    D.,    77. 
Dutaud,  L.  R.,  216,  225. 
Duval,  N.,  204,  211. 
Dyke,  S.  A.,  146. 
Eaton,  E.  J.,  70;  P.,  39. 
Education,   27,    33,    37,   48,   71, 

79,     82,     83,     84,     94,     117, 

140,     178,     240,     271,     274, 

279. 

Edwards,  J.,  115,  124;  W.,  86. 
Elder,  S.,  36. 
Elliott,   O.    U.,    187. 
Emmerson,  ±<\  W.,  85. 
Estabrook,   H.    G.,   260. 
Estabrook,    E.,    25,    31,    77,    86. 
Evang-elical  Pioneer,  122,  123, 

130,   145 

Everett,   W.   P.,    89. 
P^verton,  G.,   245. 
Every,   F.   C.,   272. 
Fairchild,    I.    E.,    236;    J.    Jl., 

235. 

Farmer,  J.  H.,  179,  186,  189. 
Fash,   Z.   L,.,   41. 
Feller   Mme.,  194,  200-207. 

220,  222,  223,  224;  L.,  198. 
Feller  Institute,  204,  205,  207, 

221. 

Fellman,   J.,   194. 
Female    Mite    Soc.,    129. 
Fenske,  R.,  270. 
Fergruson,  J.,  51. 
Fifty    years    with    the    Bap 
tists,  61. 


INDEX 


299 


Pinch,  Titus,  107,  109,  127 

Findlay,  W.,  179. 

Fitch,  E.  R.,  188;  H.,  128;  S, 

49. 
Foreign    Missions,    East,    27, 

28,    33,    36,   39,    45,   46,    54, 

62,    70,    78,    80,    81,    82,    88, 

89,  93;  Ont.  and  Que.,  117 

148,     151,     163,     165,     174, 

181;    West,    263,    264,    266. 
Foreigners,  176. 
Foreign    Evangelical    Soc.    of 

New  York,  201. 
Foster,  G.  E.,  92. 
Fournier,    O.    D.,    213. 
Fox,  E.  T.,  182,  187,  188. 
Fraser,    Wm.,    105,    107,    124, 

171. 
Free   Baptist:    (N.B.),   74,   84, 

85,   90-100;    (N.S.),   15,  40, 

44,  68,  72,   74. 
Free  Baptist  Banner,  71. 
Free  Christians,  70. 
Fredericton  Seminary,  33,   64, 

79,   82,   83,   90. 

Freeland,  Mrs.,  146;  E.  B.,  187. 
Freeman,    C.    B.,    254;    D.,    58, 

62. 

French,  R.,  y9. 
French   Work,    55,    56,    57,   82, 

87. 
Fyfe,  R.  A.,  108,  116,  134,  135, 

141,     142,     143,     145,     158, 

160,    162,    164,    203,    220. 
Gaelic  People   (C.B.),  55. 
Gates,  G.   O.,   85,  226. 
Gavin,   M.,  197,   198,  202. 
Gendreau,  J.,  218,  226. 
Genest,    — ,    218. 
George,  D.,   65. 
German    Bapt.     (Ont.),    194; 

(West),    261. 

German  Work,  253,  263,  269. 
Gib-son,  J.,  235. 
Gillies,  A.,  125. 
Gilmour,   Rev.    Jno.,   105,   106, 

113,     114,     116,     118,     119, 

120,    140,    198;    J.    L.,    179, 

187,  190,  198. 
Girls'  School  (Grande  Ligne), 

203. 

Goadsby,  J.,  149. 
Goodspeed,  C.,  184. 
Gordon,  J.  A.,  187,  190. 
Gosling,  J.   E.,   72. 
Goucher,   W.   G.,   56. 
Grande-Ligne,    197-231. 
Grande  Pr6   Seminary,   38. 


Grant,  A.,   154,   163,   181,   240, 
241,    288,    289;    E.    j|.    59 
J-,    187,    188,     239;     Mrs! 
Wm.,  250. 

Gregoire,  N.    213,  218. 
Grenier,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  216. 
Griffin,  H.  F.,  221. 
Gross,  Miss  Bella,  267. 
Gruetzser,  E.,  194 

Guriter,  J.,  i»j 

Gunton,   W.   A.,   247. 

Hailstone,  Wm.,   231. 

Haldane,  — ,  124,  197. 

Hall,  A.,   24;   S.   A.,   207,   226. 

Hammond,    L.,    74,    77. 

Barber,   G.   H.,   178. 

Harding,  H.,  23,  24,  26,  31; 
T.  S.,  20,  23-26,  31,  36, 
54. 

Harkness,  D.  B.,  252,  256,  260, 
289,  29i. 

Harris,  D.,  77,  S6,  J.,  128. 

Bartt,  S.,   99. 

Hatt,    D.    E.,    251,    254,    260. 

Head,  S.  L.,  236. 

Helie,  E.,  226. 

Henderson,  J.,  221;  T.,  135, 
136. 

Hewson,  Wm.,  132. 

Hickson,  E.,  86. 

Higgins,    J.,    106,    160. 

Hill,  A.,   234;  Mrs.   A.   J.,  250. 

Hinman,  — ,  127. 

Hinson,  Rev.  W.  B.,   249,  290. 

Hitchon,   W.    H.,   188. 

Hogg,  J.  L.,  179. 

Home  Missionary  Union,  44, 
57,  58. 

Home  Missions,  (N.B.),  16, 
37,  58,  71,  75,  76,  81,  82, 
84,  86,  88,  92,  93,  94; 
(N.S.),  28,  36,  37,  44-46, 
53,  54,  55,  58,  59,  60,  61, 
62,  64;  (Ont.  and  Que.), 
101,  117,  133,  135,  154, 
157,  162,  163,  172,  174, 
181;  (West),  255,  262,  266, 
278,  286. 

Home  Missions,  Importance 
of,  174. 

Hudson,  A.   B.,   139. 

Humphreys,   Mrs.,   189. 

Hunt,  A.  S.,  04. 

Huntley,   D.,    20. 

Hutchinson,  D.,  186;  W.  B., 
38. 

Icelanders,  264,  275. 

Indians,  Lake  of  the  Woods, 
177;  Man.,  263,  265,  271; 
Mic  Mac,  46,  63. 


300 


INDEX 


Inglis,  J.,  123. 
Innis,  Jas.,  25,  26. 
Jackson,   C.   W.,  260,   291. 
James,   D.,   77,   86. 
Jaunte,  Mile.,   204,   210. 
Jenkins,   W.   H.,   288. 
Jews,  176. 
Johnston,   E.,   273;   J.   W.,    36, 

62;   W.,    49,    54,    77;    Mrs., 

244. 
Johnstone,  Miss  L.,  47;  Lewis, 

49,   54;   T.   S.,   186,   190. 
Josline,  J.  E.,  72. 
Jousse,  F.,  213. 
Joutte,  Mile.,  210. 
Karens,  48. 
Keirstead,  E.  M.,  179. 
Kennedy,  H.  G.,  85;  J.  B.,  187, 

246. 
King's    College,     (N.S.),    49; 

(N.B.),80;   (Toronto),  115. 
Kilborn,  R.,  128,  132,  135. 
Kinnear,  W.  B.,  36,  79,  89. 
Kinney,  Rev.  A.,  71. 
Kinsman,  B.,   20;  H.,  20. 
Kirk,  Dr.,  201,   220. 
Kitchner,  A.  D.,  188. 
Knight,   P.,   82,    87. 
Knowles,  C.,   69. 
Kose,  H.,   194. 
Kolesnikoff,  177. 
Kriewetzki,   M.,   271. 
Labeau,    A.    J.,    211,    215,    216, 

225. 

Lac  Long  Church,  216. 
Lafleur,  T.,  202,  210,  212,  213, 

215,   220,   223;    Mme.,   204, 

210,  212,  213,  223. 
Laing,  D.,  187. 
Landon,   W.   H.,    120,   128. 
Layman's    Miss.     Move.,    181, 

188,  254,  256. 
Leaders,    (East),    29;    (N.B.), 

88,    97;    (N.S.),    72;    (Ont. 

and      Que.),      123,      157; 

(West),  267,  286. 
Leclerc,    Mme.,    226. 
Le  Moniteur,   133. 
Lennie,  R.,  246. 
Le  Semeur,  212. 
Letourneau,    215,    217. 
Leveque,   198. 
Lewis,   C.,  77. 
Linklater,  D.,  284. 
Lloyd,  H.,  133,  145,  121;  H.  H., 

188. 

L'Oratoire  Church,  211. 
Lore,   Mme.,   198. 
Luckens,  T.,  175. 
Lundkvist,  D.,  274. 
Lutherans,   18,   194, 


Lyon,  J.,  18. 

MacDonald,  A.  M.,  291;  J.  H., 

Macedonians,  177. 
Maclay  College,   140,  141. 
Mackenzie,   A.,    136,    165. 
Maclay,  Dr.,  140,  141. 
MacLean,   J.   N.,   291. 
MacNeill,   A.    B.,   247;   J.,   188, 

242. 
MacVicar,    M.,    163,    179,    182, 

280. 

Madill,  M.  G.,  188. 
Madison  Seminary,  125. 
Magee,   T.,   77,   86. 
Manitoba  University,  261,  274, 

279. 
Manning,    E.,    23,    24,    25,    26, 

31,    36,    49,    66;    J.,   23,   24, 

26,   31,   66. 

Marceau,  J.  H.,  207. 
March,   S.,  64. 

Marchant,    W.,    246,    247,    290. 
Maritime   Baptist,   40,   100. 
Marple,  J.  A.,  64. 
Marsh,   D.,   125;   W.,   103,   104, 

125. 

Marshall,  T.   M.,  260. 
Marsters,  J.,  77,  79,  89. 
Maskinonge  Church,  213. 
Mason,   N.,   19. 
Masse,    A.    E.,    206,    207,    211, 

225;    G.   N.,    206,    209,   211, 

225. 
Matthews,    A.    E.,    188;    I.    G., 

179,  247,  248,  290;  T.,  244. 
Maxwell,    j.,    108,    122. 
Maybee,  S.,  127. 
McArthur,     J.     B.,     236,     248; 

O.   J.,  285;  R.   S.,  106. 
McBain,   — ,   226. 
McCaul,    D.,    234. 
McCleur,   — ,    224. 
McConnell,    S.,    100,    127. 
McCord,   A.    T.,    132,    152,    165, 

182. 

McCully,    S.,    66. 
McCrimmon,  A.  L.,  179. 
McDiarmid,     A.,     105;     A.     P., 

181,    281,    287;    J.    K.,    188. 
McDonald,    A.,     89,    152,    232, 

233,   234,   266;   A.   M.,   291; 

D.  J.,  181. 

McDormand,  W.,  127,  160,  171. 
McDougall,  *>.,  105. 
McEwen,  J.   P.,   172,   173,   181, 

185;    P.    A.,    221;    P.    H., 

247-250. 

McFaul,  G.   R.,   215,   224. 
McGee,  T.,  77. 
McGill  University,   115,   215. 


INDEX 


McGray,   A.,    68,    69,   70. 

J!?or'  D<  A"  162:  R  a* 

Mcllhinney,  Mrs.  N.  P.,  139 
Mclntyre,  J.  F.,  236,  266,  288 
289;    W.    A.,    289;    W.    E., 

41,    85. 

McKay,  A.  C.,  179;  W.  J.,  146, 

187,  190. 

McKechnie,  L.  N.,  249. 
McKenzie,  J.  G.,  99;  W.  S.,  89 
McKinnon,  W.  L.,  188 
McLagan,   G.,   188. 
McLaurin,  C.  C.,  252,  254,  260- 
J.,  137,  159,   161,   163,  18l! 
McLean,  Mrs.  J.  D.,  139 
McLeod,  A.  J.,  64;  C.  E.,  187- 
E.,    93,    99;    F.    M.,    92;    J.| 
40,    85,   100;   S.,   63. 
McLure,  J.,  224. 
McMaster,     A.     R.,     139,     147- 
J.    S.,    187;    W.,    108,    135, 
139,  142,  143,  144,  154,  161, 
164. 

McMaster  University,  143 
144,  161,  168,  178,  182 
183,  184,  186,  206,  207, 
214,  284. 

McMullin,  C.,    90,   98     99 
McNee,   A.,   186. 
McPhail,   D.,    86,    05,    106,    124, 

125,    160,    171. 

Mellick,   H.    G.,   235,   241,   272. 
Melvin,  J.,  69. 
Merg-ui,  47. 
Merrill,  B.  W.,  170;  Elder,  28, 

127. 

Mersereau,  A.,  99. 
Messeng-er    and    Visitor,    40 

184. 

Methodists,  18,  45,  68,  76,  189. 
Mic  Mac  Indians,  46,  63. 
Mihell,  D.  M.,  187. 
Miles,  F.  W.,  77,  79,  80. 
Miller,   C.,   86. 
Minor,  Mrs.,   80. 
Missionary   Magazine,    34,    51, 

78. 

Mission   Aid    Societies,    39. 
Mission  Circles,   262,   264. 
Mite   Societies,   29,   52. 
Mode,  P.  G.,  291. 
Monthly   Register,   122. 
Montreal  Baptist  College,   62, 

121. 

Montreal  Register,  130,  145. 
Moore,  J.  B.,  178;  S.  J.,  188. 
Morean,   J.   B.,  18. 
Morgan,  E.  B.,  247. 
Morin,   — ,    217. 
Morse,  C.  K.,  254. 


301 


Morton,   J     231,   281,   283. 
Moseley,  Miss,  207. 
Moulton,  E.,  18,   19,  31. 

°n 


Moyle,   J.   E.,  235,   237. 
Muir,    W.,    145,    149. 
Munro,   A.,   205. 
Murdin,   W.,   234. 
Murdock,  J.  N.,  136.  137 
Murray,  P.,  56. 
Muscho,   S.,  277 
Nati2°2nal2faptist  Convention, 

Needhorn,  W.,   79. 
New  Brunswick  Baptist  Sem 
inary,  84. 

United  Baptist  Sem 
inary,   85. 
Newcombe,  J.,  89. 
New  Light  Movement,   20. 
Newman,  A.  H.,  139,  146,  179, 

Io3,   184. 

New  Ontario,  175. 
Newton    Theological    Institu 
tion,  159. 

Nicholson,  J.   C.,  290 
Noble,   J.,   99. 
Norman,   E.,   207. 
Normanday,  M.,  57,  88. 
Normandeau,  L.,  202,  204,  209. 

210,    216,    223,    224. 
Norris,  Miss  H.   M.,  39 
North-West  Baptist,  240,  288 
290.  ,     ' 

Norton,  J.,  68,   69;   J.   M.,  146- 
R.  S.,  56;  W.  E.,  147,  182, 
187,    190,   193. 
Nova  Scotia  H.  M.  Union,  445, 

767. 

Nutt,  S.,   99. 
Nutting,  J.  W.,  36,  47,  49,  51, 

63. 
Okanagan    College,    179,    250, 

260,  282,  289. 
Oldershaw,  A.,  244. 
Olivier,  M.,  197,  198. 
Oram,  D.,  70. 
Ordination,   94,  107,  127. 
Organization,   changes  in,   43, 
69,  78,   90,  91,  134,  253, 
254,   262,  268. 
'     principles    of,    257. 
Ottawa  French  Church,   215. 
Ouelette,  — ,   226. 
Paedo-Baptists,  17,  75. 
Page,  Mrs.,  244. 
Palmborg-,  A.,   54;   F.,   261. 
Parent,    M.   B.,    209,   211,   215, 
225. 


302 


INDEX 


Parker,   J.,   46,   63;   O.,   54,   56, 

63;  W.  F.,  59,  63. 
Parson,  Mrs.  C.  E.,  139. 
Parsons,   P.,   263. 
Pasche,  L.,  218,  224. 
Patenaude,  Z.,  226. 
Patterson,   J.,   85,   92. 
Paumier,   M.,   133. 
Payzant.   J.,   23,   80,   37. 
Peer,  W.,  175. 
Pelletier,   M.,   218. 
Pennington,  W.  E.,  93,  95,  99. 
Perkins,  — ,   197. 
Perrier,  M.f  226. 
Perusse,  J.,  210,  226. 
Perry,  H.  F.,  190. 
Peters,  G.,  219;  W.,  92. 
Petereit,  F.  A.,  269. 
Philips,  Dr.,   94. 
Phillips,  J.,  74. 
Piche,  Mrs.,   207;  S.,  219,  226. 
Pickle,   F.,    74,    77. 
Pierre,  — ,  244. 
Pierson,  E.,  20;  N.,  19,  20. 
Piper,    J.,    108. 
Poehlman,  C.,  266,  270. 
Poissant,  — ,   227. 
Poitras,  J.  G.,  216,  222,  225. 
Pollens,  L.,  224. 
Porter,    I.    H.,    64;    I.    W.,    41, 

59,    72;    J.    L,    70;   W.    H., 

146,   178. 

Postill,  A.  E.,  250,  267. 
Prairie  College,   162,   279. 
Presbyterians    18,  45,  76,  189, 

197. 

Priest,  H.  C.,  187. 
Primitive  Baptists,   71. 
Prince,   W.    H.,   263,    268,    272. 
Privations  of  Pioneers,  237. 
Private  Academy,  280. 
Proper,   D.   D.,   247. 
Pry.or,   J.,    37,   49,   63. 
Publications,    33,    34,    40,    51, 

61,    78,    81,    110,    117,    139, 

145,   168,   187,   249. 
Queen's  College   (Acadia),  49. 
Raindiez,    M.,    213,    224. 
Rainville,  C.,  206. 
Rand,  S.  T.,  46,  55,  63;  T.  H., 

157,  179,  182. 
Randall,    C.,    56,    80. 
Randolph,  A.  F.,  89. 
Ratoliff,  F.  L.,  187. 
Rauschen-busch,    A.,    194;    W., 

194. 

Rebellion  of  1837,  200. 
Rectories,  115. 
Reddick,  T.,  175. 
Reekie,  M.   F.,   289,  291. 


Rees,   W.,    113,    114,    118,    120, 

122. 

Reformed  Baptists,  71. 
Reid,    S.,   122. 
Religious  Intelligencer,  70,  93, 

99. 
Revolutionary    War,     20,     65, 

102. 

Reynolds,  E.,  69. 
Rice,    T.,    24. 
Richards,    J.,   222. 
Richardson,    G.,    139;    S.,    64. 
Rideout,  A.  A.,  85;  W.  C.,   27, 

64. 
Riendeau,    T.,    203,    211,    218, 

220,    224. 
Ritchie,   J.,   284. 
Ritchie,  Hall,  284. 
Robert,    M.,    214,    215,    219. 
Roberts,  G.  H.,  57;  G.  R.,  139, 

146,    188. 

Robins,  W.  A.,  64. 
Robinson,  S.,  79;  T.,  77. 
Rochester  Seminary,  161,  194, 

261. 

Rockefeller,  J.  D.,  64. 
Roi,  E.,  226. 

Roman  Catholics,  45,  114,  223. 
Rose,  H.,  55;  M.,  64. 
Rossier,  J.  D.,  205,  218,  225. 
Roudiez,  — ,  213,  224. 
Roussillon  Church,  216. 
Roussy,   L.   M.,   198-224. 
Roussy  Memorial  Church,  209. 
Roux,  C.,   204,  205,  206,  225. 
Rowland,  D.  W.,  160. 
Roy,  E.,  207,  214,;  T.,  207,  225. 
Rugg,   M.    R.,   245. 
Russian,   177,   276. 
Ruthenian,  177,  179,  276. 
Ryersie,  G.  J.,  113,  128. 
Ryrie,  J.,  187,  188. 
Sabbath  School  Union,  52. 
Sanford,  B.,  20;  R.,  39. 
Saunders,     A.     J.,     282,     284; 

E.    M.,    18,    35,    63;    H.    H., 

85;   M.,   63. 

Sauvecs,  A.,  38,   52,  53,  64. 
Sawers,   A.,   38,   52,   53,   64. 

284,   287. 
Scandinavian,    176,    177,    250, 

264,  273,  276,  278. 
Schneider,  H.,  194. 
Schulte,  G.  A.,  278. 
Schunke,  W.,   261,  270. 
Schutt,   C.   H.,   88,   188. 
Scott,   B.,    86;    E.,    226;    J.    G., 

190;  R.,  74;  T.,  234;  W.  J., 

188. 

Sears,  W.,  77,  86. 
Sene,  H.,   219. 


INDEX 


Senior,  W.  C.,  188. 

Shakotka,   I.,   277. 

Sharpe,  H.  E.,  235;  R.  W.f  272. 

Shaw,  A.,  38;   D.,   98. 

Sheldon,  S.,  170. 

Shenstone,    J.     N.,    187,    188; 

T.   S.,   3o,   137,  165. 
Shields,  T.  T.,  178. 
Siprell,  E.  M.,  40,  85,  99. 
Sisson,  E.,  92. 
Skinner,  J.,  56. 
Slaght,   Elder,   121,  128. 
Sluggett,  J.,  244. 
Smith,  A.,  59;  F.  X.,  213,  224; 
L,    156,    186;    J.    F.,    70; 
J.  T.,  36;  W.,  179. 
Society      American      Baptist 
Missionary,     148,    246, 
247. 

1     Baptist  Can.  Miss.,  114. 
'     Church      Extension, 

246,  247. 

"       "     Women's 
ary,   222. 

Women's  Home  and 
Foreign  Missionary 
of     Manitoba     and 
North-West,    262. 
"     Canadian     Baptist     Mis 
sionary,   148,   195,    201, 
203. 
"     Evangelical,   of   Grande- 

Ligne,  208. 
"     First  Missionary,  28. 

Foreign  Evangelical,  201. 
"     Foreign  Mission  Society, 

34,   93,   94,   133,   136. 
"     Free  Baptist  Education 
al,    94. 
"     French   Regular   Baptist 

Missionary,   133. 
"     Home     Mission,     (N.B.), 
75,    93;    (N.S.),    43,    55, 
56;     (Ont.    and    Que.), 
131,  137,  147. 
"     Montreal    L.    G.    L.    M., 

222. 
"     New  Brunswick  B.  D.  M., 

78. 

"     B.  H.  M.,  83. 
"     Nova    Scotia   H.    M.,    43, 

55,  56. 
"     Nova    Scotia    B.    E.,    S3, 

48. 
"     Prince    Edward    Island 

H.    M.,   67. 

"     Superannuated       Minis 
ters,    133,    134. 
"     Tract  and  Col  portage,  55. 
"     Union     Baptist     Educa 
tion,   94. 


303 

Society,  Upper  Canada  B.  M 
113,  114,  118,  122,  148'. 
Upper  Canada  D.  M.,  Ill 
Women's  B.  F.  M.,  138. 

139,   146. 
Women's    B.  H.M.,     138, 

Women's    F.    B.    M.,    94. 

Women's    H.    and   F.    M. 
of  M.  and  N.  W.,  262. 

Women's  M.  A.,  67. 
Spiritual   Lire,    35. 
Spofford,  W.   H.,  250,  267. 
Spotts,  F.,  244. 
Spurden,   C.,   36,   90. 
Stackhouse,    W.    T.,    244,    247, 
248,     249,     250,     251,     252! 

254,  260. 

Standard  Publishing  Co.,  139, 
146. 

Stark,    H.,    169,    182;    J.,    182, 

186,  187,  188. 

Mission-  Statistics,  20,  25,  27,  28,  32, 
38,  39,  40,  41,  44,  45,  51, 
56,  57,  58,  60,  65,  67,  70 
72,  79,  83,  84,  85,  95,  131, 
138,  148,  149,  150,  151. 
152,  153,  155,  156,  157, 
171,  172,  174,  179,  195, 
202,  207,  234,  238,  239, 
240,  241,  243,  248,  251, 

255,  256,  270. 

St.  Dalmas,  JE.  A.,  221. 

St.  James,  A.,  212,  225. 

St.  Martin's  Seminary,  84,  89. 

St.   Paul's  Church,  212. 

Sterns,  A.  W.,  41. 

Stevens,  J.,  66. 

Stewart,  A.,  160;  J.,  234; 
J.  W.  A.,  161;  W.,  133, 
134,  135,  137,  145,  153,  160. 

Stewart's  History  of  the 
United  Baptists,  96. 

Stolberg,   L.   M.,   273. 

Stovel,   W.    K.,    288. 

Stubbert,  J.  A.,  264. 

Stumpff,  J.,  194. 

Sullivan,   E.,    70. 

Sunday  School,  27,  33,  34,  45, 
51,  54,  57,  70,  71,  78,  81, 
82,  84,  85,  94,  117,  156, 
168,  169,  170,  187,  249. 

Sunday   School  Union,  52. 

Sundstrom,  J.  P.,  261. 

Superannuation,  36,  37,  53,  88, 
94,  130,  133,  134,  168,  188. 

Swedes,  253,  275. 

Swiss  Mission,  204. 

Tanner,  M.,  211. 

Tapscott,  S.,  107,  126. 


304 


INDEX 


Taylor,  A.,  99. 

Teele,  I.   H.f  245,   246. 

Telug-u,  39,  187. 

Temperance,  45,  50,  53,  54,  62, 

70,  78,  97. 
Templar,  J.,  250. 
Tetrault,  M.,  210. 
Therrien,  A.,   207;   A.   L.,   207, 
209,     210,     212,     215,     217, 
225;   L.   A.,   207,   211,   214; 
M.   O.,   211,   213,   219. 
Thibodeau,  Mr.,  218. 
Thomas,  B.  D.,  185,  186. 
Thompson,     D.     E.,     186,     187, 

190;  T.  M.,  222. 
Tig-he,  W.  B.,  188. 
Timpany,  A.  V.,  137,  138,  161, 

163. 

Ting-le,  J.  B.,  179. 
Todd,    T.,    83,    90. 
Toronto  Baptist  College,  143, 

144,  161,  162,  163. 
Toronto   University,   115,   140, 

143,   144,   161,   163,  164. 
Torrance,  J.,  161. 
Torrie,  A.,  178. 
Tozer,  J.,  77,  86;  T.,  86. 
Treaty  of  Utrecht,  17. 
Trefry,  J.,  70. 
Tremblay,  A.  J.,  215. 
Trotter,    R.   W.,    247,    248;    T., 

38,   64,   170,   179. 
Tucker,  S.,  105,  126,  135. 
Tupper,  C.,   35,  49,   51,   64,   66, 

77,  80. 
Turner,  A.  C.,  234;  E.,  24,  25, 

26,  32. 

Tvardovski.  T.,  277. 
Twentieth   Century   Fund,   66. 
Underbill,   B.   J.,   92. 
Union,  Baptist,   258. 

"     Baptist   of   Canada,   180, 

236. 

"     Baptist,  of  Western  Can 
ada,  250,  254,  275,  279. 
'     Canada  Baptist,  115. 
"     Reg-ular  Baptist,  116. 
Union  Baptist  Seminary,  84. 
Union  Societies,  33,  35,  45,  52, 

54,  82,  83. 

United  Baptists,   15,   72. 
United  Empire   Loyalists,  17. 
18,  102. 

A.  CK,  221. 


Upper    Canada    Baptist    Mis 
sionary      Magazine,      122, 

128. 
Urquhart,    T.,    169,    170,    187, 

188. 

Valkenaar,  J.  J.,  195. 
Vansickle,  M.,   178. 
Very,  E.   D.,   46,  83,   90. 
Vichert  J.  F.,  249.  290. 
Viens,  E.,  226. 
Vince,  D.  M.,  41,  92. 
Vincent,  W.  C.,  242,  289. 
Vining-,    A.    J.,    242,    243,    244, 

253 

Walden,  C.  W.,   64;  J.,  77,   90. 
Wallace,   I.,  58.    64,   86;  L..   F., 

64;  O.  C.   S.,  169,  179,  183. 
Warnicker,   J.    B.,    253. 
Warren,   R.   D.,   139,   146,   187, 

190,   193. 

Wayland,  Dr.,  142. 
Weathers,  G.   A.,   90. 
Webber,   E.   L.,   290. 
Welch,  G.   R.,   248. 
Wells,  J.  E.,  146,  163. 
Welton,   D.   M.    179,   184. 
Western  Baptist,  290. 
Western  Outlook,   290. 
Weston,  E.  O.,  188. 
White,  A.  E.,  226. 
White  Bros.,  178. 
Williams,  J.  N.,  133,  184,  204, 

210. 

Wilmot,  J.,  79. 
Wilson,    D.,   185. 
Winchell,   — ,    107,   127. 
Winn,  — ,  107,  127. 
Winter,  G.,  145;  W.,  182. 
Winterbotham,    J.,     116,    128, 

145. 

Wolff,  M.,  202    211. 
Wiolverton,   N.,   143. 
Women,   Baptist,  of  Western 

Canada,  250,  262. 
Woodburn,  C.  W.,  188. 
Woodstock   Colleg-e,    126,    143. 

161,  162,  165,  179,  182. 
Wortman,  Mrs.  K.  M.,  207. 
Young-  People's  Union,   71. 
Young-     People's     Missionary 

Movement,  169. 
York,  Mies  L.  E.,  233. 
Yule,  R.  H.,  238. 


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